Bupropion in the treatment of outpatients with asthma and major depressive disorder.
OBJECTIVE
Depressive disorders are common in asthma. Despite the high prevalence, antidepressant therapy in asthma patients with depression remains under-investigated. The objective of this pilot study was to investigate the use of bupropion for depression and anxiety in depressed asthma patients.


METHODS
We conducted a 12-week open-label study of bupropion in 18 depressed asthma patients. Participants were assessed with the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D-17), Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety (HAM-A), Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology--Self-Report (IDS-SR), Asthma Control Questionnaire (ACQ) and spirometry at baseline and weeks 1, 2, 4, 8, and 12.


RESULTS
Significant baseline to exit improvements were observed on the HAM-D-17 (mean change = 4.72, SD = 7.78, p = 0.02) and the HAM-A (mean change = 2.12, SD = 3.97, p = 0.04). Based on the HAM-D-17 scores, 27.8% of the patients were responders and 16.7% were remitters. Significant correlations were found between changes in ACQ score and HAM-D-17 r = 0.73, p = 0.001), ACQ score and IDS-SR r = 0.58, = 0.012), and FEV1% Predicted and HAM-D-17 r = -0.66, p = 0.006).


CONCLUSIONS
Bupropion treatment was associated with significant improvements in depression and anxiety symptoms in asthma patients. Improvements in asthma correlated significantly with improvements in depression.
Brown
E Sherwood
ES
Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, 75390-8849, USA. Sherwood.Brown@UTSouthwestern.edu
Vornik
Lana A
LA
Khan
David A
DA
Rush
A John
AJ
D000553:Ambulatory Care; D018687:Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016642:Bupropion / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015283:Citalopram / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015897:Comorbidity; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D006801:Humans; D010555:Personality Inventory; D010865:Pilot Projects; D010919:Placebos; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011594:Psychometrics; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D018687:Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation; D016642:Bupropion; D015283:Citalopram; D010919:Placebos; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors