Loudness dependence of the auditory evoked potential and response to antidepressants in Chinese patients with major depression.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the loudness dependence of the auditory evoked potential (LDAEP) in predicting response to treatment for major depression.


METHODS
One hundred patients of Chinese ethnicity with major depression were divided into 2 groups, having strong or weak pretreatment LDAEP; the cutoff was the median of the LDAEP slope (for amplitude as a function of intensity). There were no between-group differences before treatment in terms of score on the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS), age or sex distribution. The LDAEP for 4 intensity levels (60, 70, 80 and 90 dB) was recorded before treatment. Each patient then received fluoxetine 20 mg per day for 4 weeks. The response to treatment was evaluated by means of the HDRS.


RESULTS
At week 4, the HDRS score had declined by 44.3; for the group with strong LDAEP and by 34.4% for the group with weak LDAEP (t for mean difference = 2.584, p = 0.011).


CONCLUSIONS
Strong pretreatment LDAEP predicted a favourable response to treatment with a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor in patients with major depression.
Lee
Tien-Wen
TW
Department of Psychiatry, Tzu Chi General Hospital, Hualien City. dwlee_ibru@yahoo.com.tw
Yu
Younger W Y
YW
Chen
Tai-Jui
TJ
Tsai
Shih-Jen
SJ
D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000328:Adult; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018687:Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002681:China; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005072:Evoked Potentials, Auditory / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D005473:Fluoxetine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D018687:Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation; D005473:Fluoxetine