title: Nefazodone in psychotic unipolar and bipolar depression: a retrospective chart analysis and open prospective study on its efficacy and safety versus combined treatment with amitriptyline and haloperidol.
abstract: Although atypical antipsychotics are on the rise, traditional treatment of psychotic (or delusional) depression mostly includes the addition of classical antipsychotics to antidepressants. As there are only few data supporting this approach compared with antidepressant monotherapy, and almost no data comparing it with antidepressants of the latest generation, we conducted a retrospective chart analysis and a prospective, randomized open study on the efficacy and tolerability of nefazodone monotherapy versus combined treatment with amitriptyline and haloperidol in psychotic depression. The results suggest that the addition of classical antipsychotics should be reserved for those with very severe psychotic symptoms, but may not be needed in milder forms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany. grunze@psy.med.uni-muenchen.de
authors.forename: Heinz
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Grunze
authors.forename: Alain
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marcuse
authors.forename: Lars O
authors.initials: LO
authors.lastname: Schärer
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Born
authors.forename: Jörg
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Walden
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000639:Amitriptyline / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018687:Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000929:Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006220:Haloperidol / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010879:Piperazines; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014230:Triazoles / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D018687:Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation; D000929:Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D010879:Piperazines; D014230:Triazoles; D000639:Amitriptyline; C051752:nefazodone; D006220:Haloperidol