Response to 4-month treatment with reboxetine in Parkinson's disease patients with a major depressive episode.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study is to evaluate response to reboxetine in a 4-month follow-up study on depression in Parkinson's disease (PD), and to assess its tolerability profile.


METHODS
A prospective 4-month follow-up study was performed in 17 PD patients with a major depressive episode. The intensity of depressive symptoms was evaluated mainly with the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D), and PD was assessed with the Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS).


RESULTS
Reboxetine causes a progressive decrease in depressive symptoms in PD patients; the initial score of 16.76 (2.68) on HAM-D decreased to 5.85 (2.42) at 4 months (P < .002). Mean UPDRS scores did not show a statistically significant increase: 18.18 (2.6) at the beginning and 18.25 (2.4) at the end of the follow-up period (P = .8).


CONCLUSIONS
Reboxetine, as first choice treatment for major depressive episodes in PD patients, seems to be effective in progressively improving depressive symptoms over the first 4 months of treatment until complete remission. Reboxetine does not seem to increase PD symptoms, whereas patients' quality of life improves.
Pintor
Luis
L
Servicio de Psiquiatría, Instituto Clínico de Neurociencias, Hospital Clínico de Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain. lpintor@clinic.ub.es
Baillès
Eva
E
Valldeoriola
Francesc
F
Tolosa
Eduard
E
Martí
María J
MJ
de Pablo
Joan
J
D000368:Aged; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009025:Morpholines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000523:psychology*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D000077593:Reboxetine; D012074:Remission Induction; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D009025:Morpholines; D000077593:Reboxetine