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S‐adenosyl‐l‐methionine (SAMe) as antidepressant: meta‐analysis of clinical studies
Author(s) -
Bressa G. M.
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
acta neurologica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.967
H-Index - 95
eISSN - 1600-0404
pISSN - 0001-6314
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0404.1994.tb05403.x
Subject(s) - tricyclic , placebo , antidepressant , meta analysis , tricyclic antidepressant , depression (economics) , medicine , pharmacology , psychiatry , alternative medicine , hippocampus , macroeconomics , economics , pathology
‐ S‐adenosyl‐l‐methionine (SAMe) is a naturally‐occurring substance which is a major source of methyl groups in the brain. Material and methods ‐ We conducted a meta‐analysis of the studies on SAMe to assess the efficacy of this compound in the treatment of depression compared with placebo and standard tricyclic antidepressants. Results ‐ Our meta‐analysis showed a greater response rate with SAMe when compared with placebo, with a global effect size ranging from 17% to 38% depending on the definition of response, and an antidepressant effect comparable with that of standard tricyclic antidepressants. Conclusion ‐ The efficacy of SAMein treating depressive syndromes and disorders is superior with that of placebo and comparable to that of standard tricyclic antidepressants. Since SAMe is a naturally occurring compound with relatively few side‐effects, it is a potentially important treatment for depression.