title: A controlled trial of antidepressant medication in elderly in-patients.
abstract: A multi-centre controlled trial of amitriptyline, dothiepin and mianserin in the treatment of depressive illness was undertaken in psychiatric inpatients over the age of 65. Despite the co-operation of many of the leading practitioners in this field in Great Britain, it proved impossible to recruit sufficient patients for firm conclusions to be drawn. Forty-five patients were entered into the trial, 13 withdrew because of lack of improvement, 4 because of intercurrent physical illness, 3 because of adverse effects of trial medication and 2 because of lack of compliance. Only 11 of the 23 patients completing had a final score on the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale of 10 or less. No treatment showed a significant superiority over the others, nor was there any difference in tolerance.
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000639:Amitriptyline / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy*; D003988:Dibenzothiepins / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004308:Dothiepin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008803:Mianserin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011897:Random Allocation
chemical_list: D003988:Dibenzothiepins; D000639:Amitriptyline; D008803:Mianserin; D004308:Dothiepin