scholarly journals Crocus sativus L. versus Citalopram in the Treatment of Major Depressive Disorder with Anxious Distress: A Double-Blind, Controlled Clinical Trial

2016 ◽  
Vol 50 (04) ◽  
pp. 152-160 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Ghajar ◽  
S. Neishabouri ◽  
N. Velayati ◽  
L. Jahangard ◽  
N. Matinnia ◽  
...  

Abstract Introduction: Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) has demonstrated antidepressant effects in clinical studies and extensive anxiolytic effects in experimental animal models. Methods: 66 patients with major depressive disorder accompanied by anxious distress were randomly assigned to receive either saffron (30 mg/day) or citalopram (40 mg/day) for 6 weeks. Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D) and Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety (HAM-A) were used to assess treatment effect during the trial. Results: 60 participants finished the study. Patients who received either saffron or citalopram showed significant improvement in scores of the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (P-value<0.001 in both groups) and Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety (P-value<0.001 in both groups). Comparison of score changes between the 2 trial arms showed no significant difference (P-value=0.984). Frequency of side effects was not significantly different between the 2 groups. Discussion: The present study indicates saffron as a potential efficacious and tolerable treatment for major depressive disorder with anxious distress.

Author(s):  
Atefeh Zandifar ◽  
Rahim Badrfam ◽  
Ahmad Shamabadi ◽  
Shakiba Jalilevand ◽  
Shayan Pourmirbabaei ◽  
...  

Objective: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is predicted to be the first cause of burden of disease. The antidepressant activity of gemfibrozil has been recently considered. This study was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of gemfibrozil as a sertraline adjunct in treating patients with MDD. Method: A total of 46 patients with MDD based on the DSM-V criteria with a minimum score of 22 on the 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D) were randomized to receive either 300 mg daily gemfibrozil or placebo in addition to 100 mg sertraline for 8 weeks in a randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled trial. Patients were evaluated for response to treatment using the HAM-D score at baseline and weeks 2, 4, and 8. Results: Forty-five patients completed the study and took part in all follow-up visits. Repeated measure ANOVA with a Greenhouse-Geisser correction showed a significant difference for time×treatment interaction on within-subjects HAM-D scores [p–value= 0.026]. A significant difference was seen in time [p–value < 0.001]. The test of between-subject effects also showed a significant effect of treatment on HAM-D scores at weeks 2, 4, and 8 [p–value = 0.07]. Using KaplanMeier estimate curves, time to remission periods were significantly different between the 2 trial arms [Log-Rank p–value = 0.003]. Conclusion: Gemfibrozil is an effective adjunctive treatment in MDD and can be used to reduce depression symptoms.


2019 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-52
Author(s):  
Xinjing Yang ◽  
Weijun Gong ◽  
Xuehong Ma ◽  
Sihan Wang ◽  
Xueqin Wang ◽  
...  

Background: There is evidence supporting electroacupuncture (EA) for the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD), but its characteristics have not been well investigated. Objective: To investigate the effectiveness and characteristics of EA in MDD. Methods: 60 subjects were enrolled—35 in the EA group and 25 in the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) group based on their preferences—in an 8-week non-randomised controlled clinical trial. The 24-item Hamilton depression rating scale (HAMD-24) and clinical global impression (CGI) were adopted for clinical assessment. The Columbia suicide severity rating scale and adverse event form were used to measure safety and tolerability. The characteristics of EA and SSRIs were compared by analysing seven factors of the HAMD-24. Results: There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of HAMD-24 response rate after intervention (P>0.05). Patients treated with EA demonstrated a significant reduction in CGI scores (P<0.05) with fewer adverse events compared with SSRIs (P<0.01). Although HAMD-24 factor analysis showed both EA and SSRIs could improve factor scores in cognitive impairment, diurnal variation, retardation, sleep disturbance, anxiety/somatisation and feelings of despair, EA showed greater improvement in anxiety/somatisation and feelings of despair than SSRIs (P<0.05). Conclusions: There was no significant difference between EA and SSRIs in the treatment of MDD with respect to our primary outcome. However, as a potential therapy for MDD, EA appeared to result in greater symptom improvement than SSRI treatment with respect to anxiety/somatisation and feelings of despair. The results of this secondary analysis should be interpreted cautiously given the inherent issues of multiple testing.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey D. Voigt ◽  
Andrew F. Leuchter ◽  
Linda L. Carpenter

AbstractPatients with major depressive disorder (MDD) may be refractory to or have contraindications that preclude treatment with antidepressant pharmacotherapies. Alternative therapies such as repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) continue to evolve, and include theta burst stimulation (TBS), which has advantages over conventional rTMS. The aim of this study was to identify and meta-analyze efficacy data from all randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating TBS as a treatment for MDD. Published reports of RCTs (January 1, 2010 to October 23, 2020) were identified via systematic searches in computerized databases, followed by review of individual reports for inclusion. Inclusion criteria included primary diagnosis of MDD ≥ 1 week duration of therapy with ≥10 sessions, and treatment with any form of TBS. The Cochrane GRADE methodology and PRISMA criteria were used for evaluation of individual trials. Data from ten RCTs were included, representing 667 patients. Of these, 8 RCTs compared TBS to sham treatment and one compared TBS to standard rTMS (i.e., high frequency stimulation over left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex [HFL]). Quality of evidence assessment yielded high confidence in the finding of TBS being superior to sham on response measured by the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HRSD) (RR = 2.4; 95% CI: 1.27 to 4.55; P = 0.007; I2 = 40%). Comparison of HRSD response rates for TBS versus rTMS produced no statistically significant difference (RR = 1.02; 95% CI: 0.85 to 1.23; P = 0.80; I2 = 0%). The incidence of adverse events between TBS and rTMS was not statistically different. The findings of a positive effect of TBS vs. sham, and noninferiority of TBS vs. standard HFL rTMS support the continued development of TBS to treat depression.


2006 ◽  
Vol 51 (4) ◽  
pp. 234-242 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sidney H Kennedy ◽  
Kari A Fulton ◽  
R Michael Bagby ◽  
Andrea L Greene ◽  
Nicole L Cohen ◽  
...  

Objective: The primary objective was to evaluate sexual function (SF) separately in men and women with major depressive disorder (MDD) before and during treatment with bupropion sustained release (SR) or paroxetine. The secondary objectives involved a comparative evaluation of the Sex Effects Scale (Sex FX) and the Investigator-Rated Sexual Desire and Functioning Scale (IRSD-F), as well as a comparison of antidepressant outcomes and an examination of the relation between level of depression and SF over time. Method: There were 141 patients (68 women and 73 men) who met DSM-IV criteria for a current major depressive episode. They were randomly assigned to receive bupropion SR (150 to 300 mg daily) or paroxetine (20 to 40 mg daily) under double-blind trial conditions. Patients were assessed at baseline and at 2, 4, 6, and 8 weeks with the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS17), Sex FX, and IRSD-F. Results: Prior to treatment, women reported significantly lower SF on both the Sex FX and IRSD-F scales, compared with men. During treatment, there were no significant drug differences on measures of SF over time for women; however, men who were treated with paroxetine reported a worsening of SF, whereas bupropion SR did not significantly alter SF. Both bupropion SR and paroxetine produced clinically and statistically significant reductions in HDRS17 scores as well as comparable rates of response and remission. There was a statistically significant correlation between the 2 measures of SF at all visits. There was also a significant inverse relation between depression and SF in women, but not in men, irrespective of drug. Conclusion: According to the Sex FX scale, a significant difference in antidepressant-related sexual dysfunction was detected in men, but not women, during treatment with bupropion SR or paroxetine.


1994 ◽  
Vol 164 (1) ◽  
pp. 106-109 ◽  
Author(s):  
Colin R. Rodger ◽  
Allan I. F. Scott ◽  
Lawrence J. Whalley

The severity of depression in 11 drug-free unipolar patients diagnosed with definite major depressive disorder was assessed using the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression during a course (5–10 treatments) of bilateral electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). The degree of improvement after three treatments of ECT was six times greater than the improvement that occurred over the remainder of the course. Although depressed patients who recover with ECT require repeated treatments, the treatments early in a course of ECT can have marked antidepressant effect.


2012 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 313-321 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rakesh Jain ◽  
Atul R. Mahableshwarkar ◽  
Paula L. Jacobsen ◽  
Yinzhong Chen ◽  
Michael E. Thase

Abstract Vortioxetine (Lu AA21004) is a multi-modal antidepressant in clinical development for the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD). The current study evaluated the efficacy and tolerability of 5 mg vortioxetine compared to placebo after 6 wk of treatment in adults with MDD in an out-patient setting. Adults aged 18–75 yr, with a diagnosis of MDD and a baseline Montgomery–Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) total score ⩾30, were randomized to receive either 5 mg vortioxetine or placebo over 6 wk, followed by a 2-wk medication-free discontinuation period. The primary efficacy measure was change from baseline in Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAMD)-24 total score at week 6 compared to placebo. Additional measures included response and remission rates, Clinical Global Impression Scale – Improvement scores, HAMD-24 total score in subjects with baseline Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA) >19 and MADRS-S total score. Adverse events (AEs) were assessed throughout the study. A total of 600 adults were randomized. There were no significant differences in efficacy measures between subjects in the 5 mg vortioxetine and placebo groups at week 6. HAMD-24 total score in subjects with baseline HAMA >19 in the 5 mg vortioxetine group was improved at weeks 3–6 compared to the placebo group (nominal p value <0.05). The most common AEs for the vortioxetine and placebo groups were nausea (19.1 and 9.4%), headache (17.1 and 15.1%) and diarrhoea (11.4 and 7.0%), respectively. In this study of adults with MDD, 5 mg vortioxetine did not differ significantly from placebo in reducing depression symptoms after 6 wk of treatment.


Author(s):  
Nafiseh Banaha ◽  
Padideh Ghaeli ◽  
Abolghasem Yousefi ◽  
Valentin Artounian ◽  
Mohammad H. Afzali ◽  
...  

Cognitive impairment, an important side effect of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), may be related to the release of prostaglandins in the brain. Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), constitutively expressed in the CNS, has a functional role in glutamate-mediated learning and memory. The goal of this pilot, double-blind, placebocontrolled trial was to evaluate the effects of the selective COX-2 inhibitor celecoxib on the adverse cognitive effects of ECT. Twenty patients diagnosed with the major depressive disorder for which ECT was indicated as a treatment for their current episode randomly received either celecoxib (200 mg orally twice a day, a total dose of 400 mg/day) or placebo. All patients underwent the same protocol for anesthesia and ECT procedures. The patients received celecoxib or the placebo for the whole period of ECT treatment, starting the day before ECT and continuing until the sixth (last) session of ECT. The Wechsler Mental Scale-III (WMS-III), the Mini-Mental Scale Examination (MMSE), and Stroop Color test were used to assess cognition before the first session and after the first, third and sixth sessions of ECT. Hamilton rating scale for depression was also used for the assessment of depression before and after the trial. Our data showed that celecoxib group did not have significant improvement in cognition based on WMS-III or MMSE scores. There was an improvement in the Stroop Color test but not statistically significant. Our results demonstrated that although celecoxib was well tolerated in patients undergoing ECT, it did not improve related cognitive impairment. Clinical trial registration number: IRCT201201247202N2. CNS, central nervous system; COX-2, Cyclooxygenase-2; DSM-IV-TR, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fourth Edition Text Revision; ECT, electroconvulsive therapy; ECS, electroconvulsive shocks; HAM-D, Hamilton rating scale for depression; LTP, long term potentiation; MDD, major depressive disorder; MMSE, Mini-Mental State Examination; NSAIDs, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs; WMS-III, Wechsler Memory Scale-III.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xinxin Fan ◽  
Jing Yuan ◽  
Yujun Wei ◽  
Fang Zhou ◽  
Li Xu ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Sarcopenia is a skeletal muscle disorder. Recent studies showed high rates of suicide in non-elderly adults and the association between muscle health and suicide. But there have been no previous studies on the relationship between suicide risk severity and sarcopenia in major depressive disorder (MDD). This study aimed to explore the association between suicide risk severity and sarcopenia in non-elderly Chinese inpatients with MDD. Methods: The first-episode drug-naïve MDD inpatients aged 20-59 years with the 24-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAMD-24) scores of >20 were included, who were then classified into low, intermediate, high and very high suicide risk groups according to the Nurses' Global Assessment of Suicide Risk (NGASR). The HAMD-24, the Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety (HAMA) and the SARC-F questionnaire were used to assess depression severity, anxiety severity and sarcopenia, respectively. The plasma levels of cortisol and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) were measured. Results: A total of 192 MDD inpatients (122 females, 70 males; aged 39.3 ± 11.7 years) were included, with 12.5% of sarcopenia. There were significant differences in gender, HAMD score and prevalence of sarcopenia among the suicide risk groups. Adjusted ordinal regression analysis showed that sarcopenia was significantly associated with severer suicide risk (OR=2.39, 95%CI 1.02-5.58, p=.044). Conclusions: This study revealed that sarcopenia was significantly associated with higher suicide risk in non-elderly Chinese MDD inpatients after adjustment for depression severity. Intervention of sarcopenia might be effective to reduce the risk of suicide in non-elderly MDD patients.


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