title: Limited efficacy of ketoconazole in treatment-refractory major depression.
abstract: The authors examined the efficacy of ketoconazole in 16 adults with treatment-refractory major depressive disorder. Subjects participated in a 6-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Assessments of mood were made using the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and the Clinical Global Impression Scale (CGI). Results showed that none of eight patients randomly assigned to receive placebo and two of eight patients randomly assigned to receive ketoconazole met criteria for response. As a group, patients assigned to receive ketoconazole showed no significant reductions in HAM-D, BDI, or CGI scores during the 6-week trial compared with those receiving placebo. These findings suggest a limited efficacy for ketoconazole in patients with treatment-refractory major depression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA. robert.malison@yale.edu
authors.forename: R T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Malison
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Anand
authors.forename: G H
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Pelton
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kirwin
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Carpenter
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: McDougle
authors.forename: G R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Heninger
authors.forename: L H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Price
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004351:Drug Resistance; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007654:Ketoconazole / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D007654:Ketoconazole