Open pergolide treatment of tricyclic and heterocyclic antidepressant-resistant depression.
BACKGROUND
Recently, a dopamine hypothesis of depression was put forward, and several studies have demonstrated that direct and indirect dopamine agonists have antidepressant effects.


METHODS
Using Clinical Global Impressions, we evaluated the efficacy of 4-week treatment of pergolide as an antidepressant adjuvant involving 20 unipolar depressed patients who were refractory to standard treatment with antidepressants.


RESULTS
One patients (5%) were very much improved, seven (35%) much improved, four (20%) minimally improved, six (30%) no change or worse, and two (10%) not assessed. There was no significant difference in any clinical factors between the pergolide responder and non-responder group.


CONCLUSIONS
This study was a non-blind open trial, and pergolide was added to tricyclic and heterocyclic antidepressants.


CONCLUSIONS
Pergolide may be useful as an antidepressant adjuvant, suggesting a potential role for dopamine-2 stimulation in the antidepressant response.
Izumi
T
T
Department of Psychiatry, Hokkaido University School of Medicine, North 15, West 7, Kita-ku, 060-8638, Sapporo, Japan. tizumi@med.hokudai.ac.jp
Inoue
T
T
Kitagawa
N
N
Nishi
N
N
Shimanaka
S
S
Takahashi
Y
Y
Kusumi
I
I
Odagaki
Y
Y
Denda
K
K
Ohmori
T
T
Koyama
T
T
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy*; D018491:Dopamine Agonists / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010479:Pergolide / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017211:Treatment Failure
D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D018491:Dopamine Agonists; D010479:Pergolide