Sertraline in children and adolescents with major depressive disorder.
OBJECTIVE
To explore time to first response and time to first persistent response of sertraline versus placebo and compare these parameters between children (6-11 years old, n = 177) and adolescents (12-17 years old, n = 199) with major depressive disorder.


METHODS
A 10-week placebo-controlled treatment was followed by a 24-week open-label sertraline treatment. The double-blind studies were not powered to detect efficacy differences between age groups. A post hoc analysis explored time to first response and first persistent response using the Children's Depression Rating Scale-Revised and Clinical Global Impressions-Improvement predefined criteria.


RESULTS
There were no statistically significant differences in time to first response or first persistent response between sertraline and placebo in children, except for time to first response on Clinical Global Impressions-Improvement. Sertraline had a significantly faster time to first persistent response in adolescents compared to placebo. Within treatment groups, children had a significantly faster time to first response than adolescents, whether treated with placebo or sertraline, but not on time to first persistent response. Both age groups showed similar improvement over 34 weeks of treatment.


CONCLUSIONS
In the double-blind studies, children and adolescents had different patterns of response with sertraline vs. placebo.
Donnelly
Craig L
CL
Dr. Donnelly is with the Department of Psychiatry, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH; Dr. Wagner is with the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health Sciences, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston; Dr. Rynn is with the Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia; Dr. Ambrosini is with Drexel University Medical School, Philadelphia; and Drs. Landau, Yang, and Wohlberg are with Pfizer Pharmaceuticals Inc., New York. Electronic address: craig.l.donnelly@dartmouth.edu.
Wagner
Karen Dineen
KD
Dr. Donnelly is with the Department of Psychiatry, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH; Dr. Wagner is with the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health Sciences, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston; Dr. Rynn is with the Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia; Dr. Ambrosini is with Drexel University Medical School, Philadelphia; and Drs. Landau, Yang, and Wohlberg are with Pfizer Pharmaceuticals Inc., New York.
Rynn
Moira
M
Dr. Donnelly is with the Department of Psychiatry, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH; Dr. Wagner is with the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health Sciences, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston; Dr. Rynn is with the Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia; Dr. Ambrosini is with Drexel University Medical School, Philadelphia; and Drs. Landau, Yang, and Wohlberg are with Pfizer Pharmaceuticals Inc., New York.
Ambrosini
Paul
P
Dr. Donnelly is with the Department of Psychiatry, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH; Dr. Wagner is with the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health Sciences, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston; Dr. Rynn is with the Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia; Dr. Ambrosini is with Drexel University Medical School, Philadelphia; and Drs. Landau, Yang, and Wohlberg are with Pfizer Pharmaceuticals Inc., New York.
Landau
Phyllis
P
Dr. Donnelly is with the Department of Psychiatry, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH; Dr. Wagner is with the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health Sciences, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston; Dr. Rynn is with the Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia; Dr. Ambrosini is with Drexel University Medical School, Philadelphia; and Drs. Landau, Yang, and Wohlberg are with Pfizer Pharmaceuticals Inc., New York.
Yang
Ruoyong
R
Dr. Donnelly is with the Department of Psychiatry, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH; Dr. Wagner is with the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health Sciences, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston; Dr. Rynn is with the Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia; Dr. Ambrosini is with Drexel University Medical School, Philadelphia; and Drs. Landau, Yang, and Wohlberg are with Pfizer Pharmaceuticals Inc., New York.
Wohlberg
Christopher J
CJ
Dr. Donnelly is with the Department of Psychiatry, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH; Dr. Wagner is with the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health Sciences, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston; Dr. Rynn is with the Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia; Dr. Ambrosini is with Drexel University Medical School, Philadelphia; and Drs. Landau, Yang, and Wohlberg are with Pfizer Pharmaceuticals Inc., New York.
D000293:Adolescent; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D020280:Sertraline / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D020280:Sertraline