Relapse of depressed patients after effective continuation therapy.
Forty-one elderly depressed patients who had responded to either nortriptyline or phenelzine were given continuation treatment for approximately 4 months (mean = 16.5 weeks) after which 19 were switched under double-blind conditions to placebo. At the end of 8 weeks, three (15.8%) of the placebo patients had relapsed and three (13.6%) of the patients kept on antidepressants had relapsed. Patients who had more prior episodes of depression had a greater risk of relapsing. The implications of these findings for continuation pharmacologic treatment in the elderly depressed are discussed.
Georgotas
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New York University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, NY 10016.
McCue
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D000368:Aged; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008134:Long-Term Care; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009661:Nortriptyline / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D010624:Phenelzine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D011897:Random Allocation; D012008:Recurrence
D009661:Nortriptyline; D010624:Phenelzine