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Nortriptyline plasma levels and therapeutic response
Author(s) -
Ziegler Vincent E.,
Clayton Paula J.,
Taylor John R.,
Co Bun Tee,
Biggs John T.
Publication year - 1976
Publication title -
clinical pharmacology and therapeutics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.941
H-Index - 188
eISSN - 1532-6535
pISSN - 0009-9236
DOI - 10.1002/cpt1976204458
Subject(s) - nortriptyline , hamilton rating scale for depression , medicine , plasma levels , plasma concentration , depression (economics) , rating scale , psychology , amitriptyline , major depressive disorder , amygdala , economics , macroeconomics , developmental psychology
Eighteen depressed outpatients were treatedfor 6 wk with a mean daily dose of 121 mg of nortriptyline. The mean plasma level was 138 ng/ml during treatment. Therapeutic response was monitored by the Zung Self‐Rating Depression Scale and the Hamilton Depression Scale administrered by two psychiatrists blind to the tricyclic used, dose, and plasma levels. Eight patients recovered (Hamilton ≧ 6) by the fourth week and 12 by the sixth week. During the steady‐state (wk 4 to 6) there was a positive correlation between the weekly Hamilton scores and the weekly nortriptyline levels (p < 0.01). The 9 patients with mean plasma levels between 50 and 139 ng/ml had a better therapeutic response after 6 wk measured by percent recovered (p < 0.005), Zung score (p < 0.05), and Hamilton score (p < 0.025) than the 9 patients with mean plasma levels between 140 and 260 nglml.