0000000000409589
AUTHOR
H. J. Staab
Dose escalation vs. continued doses of paroxetine and maprotiline: a prospective study in depressed out-patients with inadequate treatment response
In view of the fact that controlled prospective studies on the benefits of dose escalation of the selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitor (SSRI) paroxetine are lacking, we conducted a double-blind, randomized, parallel-group multicentre study designed to compare the possible benefits of dose escalation of paroxetine and maprotiline in patients suffering from major or minor depression according to modified Research Diagnostic Criteria (RDC) with inadequate treatment response. The study sample consisted of 544 out-patients with different degrees of severity of depression. Patients received either 20 mg paroxetine (n = 271) or 100 mg maprotiline (n = 273) for the first 3 weeks in a double-blin…
Comparison of Paroxetine and Maprotiline in Minor Depression
Whilst the efficacy of paroxetine has been demonstrated in MDD, its clinical utility in minor depression has not been established. This study assesses the antidepressant efficacy of paroxetine in patients meeting RDC criteria for minor depression. All patients scored 13 points on the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD) at baseline. After a 3 day washout period, patients were randomised to receive paroxetine 20–40mg/day or maprotiline 100-150mg/day, dose being titrated according to clinical response after 3 weeks treatment at the lower doses. Assessments conducted at baseline (day 0) and at weekly intervals for 6 weeks included the 17-item HAMD, the Montgomery-Asberg Depression R…