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Dopaminergic hypothesis for retarded depression: a symptom profile for predicting therapeutical responses
Author(s) -
Rampello L.,
Nicoletti G.,
Raffaele R.
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
acta psychiatrica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.849
H-Index - 146
eISSN - 1600-0447
pISSN - 0001-690X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0447.1991.tb03193.x
Subject(s) - dopaminergic , depression (economics) , psychology , psychiatry , neuroscience , medicine , clinical psychology , dopamine , economics , macroeconomics
We assessed the therapeutical efficacy of various antidepressants (amineptine, minaprine and clomipramine) in patients affected by retarded depression. All patients exhibited symptoms of retardation, including hypokinesia, anergia, reduction of speech, increased salivation, hypersomnia, Parinaud's syndrome, reduced sexual activity, slowness, hypomimia, orthostatic hypotension, dysphagia and drowsiness. Antidepressant drugs were administered for a 6‐week period in a randomized double‐blind vs placebo design. The rank order of clinical effectiveness (amineptine > > minaprine>clomipramine>placebo) paralleled the specificity of antidepressants as dopaminomimetic agents. These results support the view that a reduced dopaminergic transmission contributes to the pathophysiology of retarded depression.