The multicenter trials were performed in a group of 86 depressive inpatients (among them 64 with endogenous depression) managed with fluoxetine (Prozac). It was established that the drug is most effective in managing psychogenic depressions and may also be of use in endogenous depressions, among them in drug resistant ones. Tolerance to the drug was satisfactory, 62% did not show any unwanted side-effects. The rest of the group displayed sleep disorders, increased anxiety, lost of appetite and nausea. Changes in the laboratory parameters and non-specific changes in the electrocardiogram were observed sporadically. Fluoxetine seemed not to have any direct cholinolytic effect.

Depressive Disorder↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Drug resistance in endogenous depression. Part I. Refractoriness to antidepressants in patients with depression admitted to a psychiatric clinic for the first time].

The efficacy of antidepressive treatment (mainly pharmacotherapy) was evaluated among 284 patients, admitted for the first time to the hospital with the diagnosis of endogenous depression. The first antidepressant therapy was found effective in 58% of the patients. Furthermore treatment with other antidepressants in the patients not responding to the initial therapy was successful in 57% of the cases. Drug resistance (defined as no therapeutical effect after 2 adequate courses of antidepressant treatment) was established in 7% of this sample. It was established that the drug resistance is more frequent after the 45th year of life. No relation between the drug resistance and sex, type of affective disorder, life events or somatic disorders were found.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Psychotropic profile of essential antidepressants (amitriptyline, imipramine, desipramine, chlorimipramine): comparative study].

Comparative studies of the therapeutic activity of amitriptyline, imipramine, desipramine and chlorimipramine were studied in a group of 185 patients with endogenous depression. After standard 28-day treatment, the best results were obtained while using amitriptyline (improvement rate 67%, the greatest reduction in the Hamilton Depression Scale scored on 28-day of the treatment). The profile and characteristics of antidepressive action of all the drugs taken into consideration are comparable (including slightly more expressed sedative and deliberative effects of amitriptyline). Desinhibitive influence of desipramine and imipramine was not proved. Neither was tachythymoleptic activity of desipramine found. The study does not support the relation between the antidepressive action profile of tricyclic antidepressants and their influence on reuptake of monoamines (norepinephrine and serotonine).

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Drug resistance in endogenous depression Part II. Refractoriness to antidepressants in affective disorders].

Among 67 patients admitted for the first time to the hospital drug resistance was evaluated in the further course of disease for at least 3 consecutive depressive phases. It was established that drug resistance occurs (usually as a single episode) in 28% of patients with endogenous depression and it concerns 10% of all depressive phases. The drug resistance is more frequent after the 45th year of life. The incidence of therapeutic failures is 3% during the first depressive phase and goes up in the consecutive phases. The occurrence of drug resistance in the past has no prognostic value for the next phase. There is a certain subgroup of patients, characterized by repetitive drug resistance during several phases. This phenomenon needs further evaluation.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Personality as a predictor of therapy effectiveness in endogenous depression].

On the basis of personality assessment (MMPI, MPI) patients with endogenous depression were shown to react differently to treatment. Women who obtained low scores on the Lie (L), Depression (D) and Repression (R) scales as well as high scores on the Psychopathic deviate (Pd) and Alcoholism (Mac) scales had better therapy outcomes. On the other hand from among men with endogenous depression those reacting better to treatment were those who obtained low scores on the Depression (D) and high scores on the Mania (Ma) scales.

Adult↗