Parkinson’s and depression drugs can alter moral judgment, study shows

Trial showed healthy people given a Parkinson's drug became more selfish, while people given a serotonin-boosting drug were more protective of others

Common drugs for depression and Parkinson's can sway people's moral judgments about harming others, according to research that raises ethical questions about the use of the drugs.

The study found that when healthy people were given a one-off dose of a serotonin-boosting drug widely used to treat depression they became more protective of others, paying almost twice as much to prevent them receiving an electric shock in a laboratory experiment. They also became more reluctant to expose themselves to pain.