title: Psychobiological predictors of antidepressant drug response.
abstract: Forty-nine patients with major depression and a reduced (less than 65.0 minute) REM latency were treated in a randomized, double-blind study with either amitriptyline or alprazolam. Predictors of response were sought for the whole group and for each drug cell individually. A longer current episode and a higher Beck Depression Inventory to Hamilton Rating Scale ratio were predictive of a poorer response for the whole group and for the alprazolam group. A longer current episode was also predictive of a poor response to amitriptyline. These data suggest that (1) a longer current episode and (2) a greater level of self-reported compared to clinician-observed symptoms correlate with a poorer response to antidepressant medications.
mesh_terms: D000525:Alprazolam; D000639:Amitriptyline / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001569:Benzodiazepines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D003907:Dexamethasone; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012895:Sleep, REM / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents; D001569:Benzodiazepines; D000639:Amitriptyline; D003907:Dexamethasone; D006854:Hydrocortisone; D000525:Alprazolam