title: Is the Chinese medicinal formula Guipi Decoction () effective as an adjunctive treatment for depression? A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of Guipi Decoction (, GPD) as an adjunctive in the treatment of depression.
  
  
  METHODS
  A review of all relevant studies retrieved from a search of the following databases were conducted without any language restriction: Excerpt Medica Database (EMBASE), PubMed, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), VIP Information, Wanfang Data, and the Chinese Biomedical Literature Database. Papers published until February 2013 were taken into consideration. The analysis was performed using the Cochrane software Revman 5.1.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nine randomized controlled trials involving 620 patients with depression were included in this review. The meta-analysis revealed that compared with antidepressant therapy alone, treatment with a combination of GPD and an antidepressant drug signifificantly improved the symptoms of depression [weighted mean difference (WMD):-3.09; 95% confifidence interval (CI):-4.11 to-2.07] and increased the rates of effectiveness (OR: 4.75; 95% CI: 2.66-8.51) as well as recovery (OR: 1.73; 95% CI: 1.17-2.56). The adverse effects of GPD were not found to be signifificant in these studies.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The fifindings of this meta-analysis were in keeping with the notion that GPD formulations were effective in the treatment of depression without causing any serious adverse effects. However, currently available evidence was of low quality and therefore inadequate to justify a strong recommendation of using GPD formulations in the management of depression.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Integrative Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China.|Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410011, China.|Key Laboratory of Chinese Gan of State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine of China, Changsha, 410008, China.
authors.forename: Chen-Xia
authors.initials: CX
authors.lastname: Sheng
authors.affiliation: Institute of Integrative Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China.|Key Laboratory of Chinese Gan of State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine of China, Changsha, 410008, China.
authors.forename: Ze-Qi
authors.initials: ZQ
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Institute of Integrative Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China.|Key Laboratory of Chinese Gan of State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine of China, Changsha, 410008, China.
authors.forename: Han-Jin
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.affiliation: Institute of Integrative Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China.|Key Laboratory of Chinese Gan of State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine of China, Changsha, 410008, China.
authors.forename: A-Li
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Institute of Integrative Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China.|Key Laboratory of Chinese Gan of State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine of China, Changsha, 410008, China.
authors.forename: Cong
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410011, China.
authors.forename: Zhe
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410011, China.
authors.forename: Nan-Xiang
authors.initials: NX
authors.lastname: Su
authors.affiliation: Institute of Integrative Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China. falcontang@126.com.|Key Laboratory of Chinese Gan of State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine of China, Changsha, 410008, China. falcontang@126.com.
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tang
mesh_terms: D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003863:Depression / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional / Q000009:adverse effects; D017594:Publication Bias; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; C578965:guipi
keywords: Chinese medicine formula; Guipi Decoction; Meta-analysis; depression