title: Cognitive performance following fluoxetine treatment in depressed patients post myocardial infarction.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  As depression is a considerable risk factor for an unfavourable course of myocardial infarction (MI), antidepressant treatment of post-MI depression and, inherent to MI status, polypharmacy has become an important issue.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The present study is the first to evaluate cognitive side effects of fluoxetine, as part of a placebo-controlled double-blind trial, in patients with post-first MI depression.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cognitive performance of 54 depressed patients post first-MI, treated with fluoxetine or placebo was compared. Cognitive performance was tested before and after 9 weeks of treatment using the Visual Verbal Learning Test, Concept Shifting Task, Stroop Colour-Word Test and Letter-Digit-Substitution Test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median number of cardiovascular drugs taken by MI patients was 4.9. There were no differences between the fluoxetine and the placebo group on cognitive performance.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In sum, there were no negative side effects of fluoxetine compared with placebo on cognition in depressed MI patients, simultaneously treated with cardiac drugs.
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital Maastricht/University of Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Jacqueline J M H
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Strik
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital Maastricht/University of Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Adriaan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Honig
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital Maastricht/University of Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Edwin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Klinkenberg
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital Maastricht/University of Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Jeanette
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dijkstra
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital Maastricht/University of Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Jelle
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jolles