A placebo-controlled comparison of nortriptyline and phenelzine in maintenance therapy of elderly depressed patients.
Fifty-one elderly depressed outpatients who had responded to antidepressants and completed continuation therapy were observed under double-blind conditions for 1 year. Twenty-three had been switched to placebo, while 13 and 15 took nortriptyline hydrochloride and phenelzine sulfate, respectively. Patients administered phenelzine did significantly better with 13.3% recurrences than patients administered either nortriptyline (53.8% recurrences) or placebo (65.2% recurrences). In addition, patients who had higher Hamilton scores and who had an earlier age of onset of the first depressive episode were significantly more likely to have recurrences.
Georgotas
A
A
Depression Studies Program, New York University School of Medicine, New York.
McCue
R E
RE
Cooper
T B
TB
D000368:Aged; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009661:Nortriptyline / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010624:Phenelzine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010919:Placebos; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012008:Recurrence
D010919:Placebos; D009661:Nortriptyline; D010624:Phenelzine