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The effects of fluoxetine and dothiepin on cognitive function in depressed patients in general practice
Author(s) -
Fairweather D. B.,
Stanley N.,
Yoon J. S.,
Hindmarch I.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
human psychopharmacology: clinical and experimental
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.461
H-Index - 78
eISSN - 1099-1077
pISSN - 0885-6222
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1099-1077(199907)14:5<325::aid-hup102>3.0.co;2-3
Subject(s) - hamd , fluoxetine , flicker fusion threshold , cognition , randomized controlled trial , depression (economics) , rating scale , psychology , adverse effect , hamilton rating scale for depression , medicine , psychiatry , clinical psychology , serotonin , developmental psychology , major depressive disorder , flicker , receptor , economics , macroeconomics , electrical engineering , engineering
Abstract The objective of this study was to assess whether there are any differences between fluoxetine and dothiepin on cognitive function of patients with major depression (DSMIII‐R). A randomized, double‐blind, parallel group design, 6 week trial in patients in general practice was employed where patients were randomly allocated to one of two treatment groups, i.e. fluoxetine 20 mg mane or dothiepin 75 mg nocte (increasing to 150 mg in the 2nd week). Eighty‐four depressed patients aged 18–70 (mean 43·8) years were admitted to the study. Cognitive function was assessed by a valid battery of tests before and during treatment. The severity of depression was assessed using the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD) at the start and end of the study. Both treatments were similarly efficacious in reducing the HAMD and performance tended to improve with both drugs during treatment. There were significant differences between the drugs on the critical flicker fusion task where the fluoxetine group performed significantly better than the dothiepin group ( p <0·05). The fluoxetine group also had better scores on a mental arithmetic task. No significant differences were observed in the adverse event profiles. The results of this study show that fluoxetine and dothiepin cannot be differentiated in terms of efficacy manifest by changes in the HAMD, but do possess different profiles of action on the battery of cognitive tests. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.