Trazodone in endogenous depressed patients: a negative report and a critical evaluation of the pertaining literature.
The antidepressant efficacy of trazodone has been studied during three weeks in 13 endogenously depressed patients, using a fixed dosage of 5/10 mg/kg bodyweight per day. Psychopathological assessments were documented by means of observer rating (HDRS, AMP) and selfratings (Bf-S, EWL-K). Most variables assessed during course of treatment did not reveal amelioration of statistical significance or clinical relevance. If the most frequently applied response criteria of a 50% reduction of the initial HDRS-score was taken, only three patient improved. Those results were surprising in view of the previous and subsequent response to antidepressant therapy of the patient group studied. Plasmalevels of trazodone were monitored once weekly; they showed a nine-fold interindividual variation and did not correlate to the fixed dosage steps. A critical review of the pertaining literature led the authors assume, that the main indication of this drug is within non-endogenous-depression.
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004341:Drug Evaluation; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010879:Piperazines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D013577:Syndrome; D014196:Trazodone / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000097:blood / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D010879:Piperazines; D014196:Trazodone