SadaNews – A Brazilian study has shown the potential use of low doses of the antibiotic “minocycline” as a new treatment option for panic attacks, in a move that could represent a significant shift away from reliance on traditional sedatives.
Researchers from the University of São Paulo and the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro explained that these results enhance a new understanding of the mechanisms behind panic disorder and its treatment, published in a specialized journal of translational psychiatry.
Panic attacks are sudden episodes of intense fear or anxiety that occur unexpectedly and may be accompanied by rapid heart rate, shortness of breath, sweating, dizziness, and sometimes sensations of choking or losing control. These attacks result from a complex interaction between psychological and biological factors, and may be linked to increased sensitivity of the nervous system to stressful or threatening stimuli.
Treatment for panic attacks typically relies on a combination of psychotherapy and medication; psychotherapies work to modify the brain’s interpretation of bodily signals and reduce fear responses, while antidepressants help restore neurotransmitter balance, contributing to long-term anxiety reduction. Sedatives work quickly by calming the central nervous system’s activity, but they do not address the root cause; rather, they alleviate symptoms temporarily.
The study focused on the use of “minocycline” at low doses, not as an antibiotic, but to leverage its effects on the brain. Experiments were conducted on mice at the University of São Paulo and on humans at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro.
The study included 49 patients with panic disorder, who were subjected to an inhalation test with air containing carbon dioxide, which induces a sudden feeling of suffocation and anxiety similar to panic attack symptoms, before and after 7 days of treatment with either “minocycline” or “clonazepam,” traditionally used for panic treatment, with symptoms being assessed using validated psychological scales.
The results showed that “minocycline” reduces the severity of panic attacks in both animals and humans when used in doses lower than those for bacterial infections, and it exhibited a similar effect in some cases compared to “clonazepam.”
According to the researchers, the mechanism of action of “minocycline” differs from that of sedatives, as it does not directly inhibit the nervous system but targets neuroinflammation in the brain.
They believe that its effect stems from reducing this inflammation, rather than its properties as an antibiotic, unlike “clonazepam,” which works by enhancing neurotransmitter effects in the brain.
It is believed that “minocycline” reduces the activity of “microglia” cells, which are immune cells in the nervous system that may exhibit heightened inflammatory activity in patients with panic disorder. This reduction in inflammation leads to decreased secretion of inflammatory substances and increased levels of anti-inflammatory materials, helping to calm the brain’s excessive response to triggers such as carbon dioxide and restoring balance to the neural environment rather than merely providing temporary symptom relief.
The team noted that these findings open the door to the development of new treatments targeting neuroinflammation, which may be more effective and have fewer side effects, indicating a new direction in understanding and treating psychological disorders in general.