FaReWell Depression - Facial Exercise Program to Treat Depression

Zentrum für Angst und Depressionsbehandlung Zürich

Status: Enrolling

Conditions: Depression

Treatments: Behavioral: FaReWell Depression

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03983291

Version 1.1

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study investigates if a physiotherapeutic exercise program designed to relax facial muscles associated with the expression of negative emotions and to activate and strengthen facial muscles associated with the expression of positive emotions can reduce the symptoms of depression and improve wellbeing and quality of life in the affected patients.

Full description

Activity of the facial musculature expresses emotions, but also generates proprioceptive signals to the emotional brain that maintain and reinforce the expressed emotions. This has been described by Charles Darwin and William James in the facial feedback hypothesis.

Studies have shown that interruption of facial feedback by the injection of botulinum toxin into the corrugator and procerus muscles, which express negative emotions like sadness, anger, and fear, can reduce the symptoms of depression.

In the present study we investigate, if similar effects can be achieved by a relaxing massage of these and other muscles that are associated with the expression of negative emotions and if strengthening exercises of muscles that express positive emotions, the zygomaticus and orbicularis oculi muscles, can contribute to the rehabilitation of positive emotionality in depression. After instruction by a physiotherapist, participants will practice the exercises daily for 15 minutes.

Enrollment: 40 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 65 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Mild to moderate unipolar depression
• Stable treatment for at least 6 weeks

Exclusion criteria

• Organic mental disorders
• Mental disorders due to psychoactive substance use
• Schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders
• Previous cosmetic procedures (botulinum toxin, fillers, lifting)
• Facial palsy
• Facial skin disorders

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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40 participants in 2 patient groups, including a placebo group

FaReWell Depression

Experimental group

Description:

Physiotherapeutic exercises for the relaxation of facial muscles associated with the expression of negative emotions and for the activation and strengthening of facial muscles associated with the expression of positive emotions 15 minutes daily

Treatment:

Behavioral: FaReWell Depression

Resting exercise

Placebo Comparator group

Description:

Resting 15 minutes daily

Treatment:

Behavioral: FaReWell Depression