title: Pharmacological treatment of depression in patients with a primary brain tumour.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This is an updated version of the original Cochrane review published in Issue 3, 2010.Patients with a primary brain tumour often experience depression, for which drug treatment may be prescribed. However, these patients are also at high risk of epileptic seizures, cognitive impairment and fatigue, all of which are potential side effects of antidepressants. The benefit, or harm, of pharmacological treatment of depression in brain tumour patients is unclear.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess the benefits and harms of pharmacological treatment of depression in patients with a primary brain tumour.
  
  
  METHODS
  We updated the search to include the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) (The Cochrane Library 2012, Issue 10), MEDLINE to October 2012, EMBASE to October 2012 and PsycINFO to October 2012. We searched the British Nursing Index, LILACS, PSYNDEX, the NHS National Research Register, the NHS Centre for Reviews and Dissemination's Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effectiveness (DARE) and Web of Knowledge (covering Science Scisearch, Social Sciences Citation Index and Biological Abstracts) for the original review (to July 2009). In the original review we also handsearched Neuro-oncology, the Journal of Neuro-oncology, the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry and the Journal of Clinical Oncology (July 1999 to June 2009) and wrote to all the pharmaceutical companies manufacturing antidepressants for use in the UK.
  
  
  METHODS
  We searched for all randomised controlled trials (RCTs), controlled clinical trials, cohort studies and case-control studies of any pharmacological treatment of depression in patients with a histologically diagnosed primary brain tumour.
  
  
  METHODS
  No studies met the inclusion criteria.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found no eligible studies evaluating the benefits of any pharmacological treatment of depression in brain tumour patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  No high-quality studies have examined the value of pharmacological treatment of depression in patients with a primary brain tumour. RCTs and detailed prospective studies are required to inform the effective pharmacological treatment of this common and important complication of brain tumours. Since the last version of this review none of the new relevant studies have provided additional information to change these conclusions.
authors.affiliation: Edinburgh Centre for Neuro-Oncology (ECNO), Western General Hospital, Edinburgh, UK. a.rooney@nhs.net.
authors.forename: Alasdair
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rooney
authors.forename: Robin
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Grant
mesh_terms: D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D003863:Depression / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents