Changes of speech activity in depressed patients under pharmacotherapy.
The reduced speech activity of depressed patients is a consistent finding in many systematic studies. However, this and other nonverbal parameters have seldom been investigated in psychopharmacological studies. In this double-blind study, 21 retarded depressed patients were treated with amitriptyline or pirlindol over a four-week period. The speech behavior of the patients was analyzed by computer techniques, and the drug-induced changes in these variables were compared with the psychopathological effects of the treatment.
Renfordt
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Department of Psychiatry, Free University of Berlin, West, Germany.
D000328:Adult; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011897:Random Allocation; D013060:Speech / Q000187:drug effects*; D013997:Time Factors