title: Atypical depression, atypical temperament and a differential antidepressant response to fluoxetine and nortriptyline.
abstract: We examined the personality characteristics of depressed patients with and without atypical depression. Of 195 depressed outpatients in a randomized treatment trial of fluoxetine or nortriptyline, 16 met DSM-IV criteria for atypical depression. We compared the personality traits and disorders in those with and without atypical depression. In atypical depression, fluoxetine was superior to nortriptyline. On the Temperament and Character Inventory, those with atypical depression had high attachment, low persistence, and high anticipatory anxiety. A temperament construct of these dimensions was associated with a differential antidepressant response, regardless of other atypical features. A temperament derived measure of "rejection sensitivity" defines a group of depressed patients with a differential antidepressant response, regardless of reversed vegetative symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychological Medicine, Christchurch School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Christchurch, New Zealand. peter.joyce@chmeds.ac.nz
authors.forename: Peter R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Joyce
authors.forename: Roger T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Mulder
authors.forename: Janice M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: McKenzie
authors.forename: Suzanne E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Luty
authors.forename: C Robert
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Cloninger
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D018687:Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000929:Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D005473:Fluoxetine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009661:Nortriptyline / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012737:Sex Factors; D013694:Temperament / Q000187:drug effects*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D018687:Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation; D000929:Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic; D005473:Fluoxetine; D009661:Nortriptyline