title: Gender differences in the clinical effects of fluvoxamine and milnacipran in Japanese major depressive patients.
abstract: Gender differences in the treatment response to fluvoxamine (selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitor) and milnacipran (serotonin/norepinephrine re-uptake inhibitor) were investigated in Japanese major depressive patients. A total of 125 Japanese patients was included in the present study. Sixty-six patients received fluvoxamine treatment. The daily dose was 50 mg/day for the first week and increased to 100 mg after 1 week, up to 200 mg after another week. Fifty-nine patients were given milnacipran. The daily dose was 50 mg/day for the first week, and up to 100 mg/day thereafter. Patients were divided into three groups: younger women (<44 years of age), older women (> or =44 years of age) and men. Depressive symptoms were evaluated using the Montgomery and Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) before treatment and at 1, 2, 4 and 6 weeks after the beginning of the study. In comparison with other groups, younger women treated with fluvoxamine demonstrated a significant difference in the time course of MADRS score change. However, these gender/age-related differences of antidepressant response were not observed in the patients treated with milnacipran. The results suggest that fluvoxamine is more effective in younger female patients than older female patients and male patients, while milnacipran is generally effective irrespective of gender or age.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Akita University School of Medicine, Akita, Japan. ac060429@med.city.akita.akita.jp
authors.forename: Shingo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Naito
authors.forename: Kazuhiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: Keizo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.forename: Hisashi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Higuchi
authors.forename: Hitoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Mitsuhiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kamata
authors.forename: Kenichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.forename: Tadashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ohkubo
authors.forename: Tetsuo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shimizu
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging; D018687:Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003521:Cyclopropanes / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003625:Data Collection; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D016666:Fluvoxamine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008593:Menopause / Q000523:psychology; D008875:Middle Aged; D000078764:Milnacipran; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012727:Sex Characteristics
chemical_list: D018687:Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation; D003521:Cyclopropanes; D000078764:Milnacipran; D016666:Fluvoxamine