Open-label nefazodone in patients with a major depressive episode and alcohol dependence.
OBJECTIVE
Major depressive disorder (MDD) and alcohol dependence (AD) frequently occur together. However, MDD clinical trials generally exclude patients with alcohol-related disorders.


METHODS
A 12-week, open-label trial of nefazodone in a group of people (n=13) with both a current major depressive episode and current AD was conducted to examine the effect of this antidepressant on depressive symptoms, alcohol use, and cognition.


RESULTS
Scores on the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD) and Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety (HRSA) significantly decreased from baseline to exit. In addition, significant reduction in alcohol craving, drinks/week, and days of alcohol use/week was found. Scores on the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT) did not significantly improve during the study. Changes in mood/anxiety and memory did not correlate with changes in alcohol use.


CONCLUSIONS
Thus, nefazodone therapy was associated with improvement in mood/anxiety and alcohol use, which seem to be independent of each other in this patient sample. However, declarative memory, which was low average at baseline, did not show statistically significant improvement during the 12 weeks of the study.
Brown
E Sherwood
ES
Department of Psychiatry, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Boulevard, Dallas, TX 75390-8849, USA. Sherwood.Brown@UTsouthwestern.edu
Bobadilla
Leonardo
L
Nejtek
Vicki A
VA
Perantie
Dana
D
Dhillon
Harminder
H
Frol
Alan
A
D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D018687:Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001007:Anxiety; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D017831:Diagnosis, Dual (Psychiatry); D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory; D008875:Middle Aged; D010879:Piperazines; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014230:Triazoles / Q000494:pharmacology*
D018687:Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation; D010879:Piperazines; D014230:Triazoles; C051752:nefazodone