BACKGROUND: Treatment-resistant depression is a persistent clinical problem. Exogenous testosterone therapy has psychotropic effects and has been proposed as an antidepressant supplement, although this strategy has received limited systematic study. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to examine the mood effects of testosterone supplementation to a serotonergic antidepressant in men with treatment-resistant depression. METHOD: Twenty-six healthy adult men with major depressive disorder, partial or nonresponse to 2 adequate antidepressant trials during the current episode, and currently using a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor were randomized under double-blind conditions to receive intramuscular injections of escalating doses of testosterone or placebo, in addition to their existing selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor regimen, for 6 weeks. The main outcome measure was the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression score. RESULTS: The mean age was 46.4 +/- 10.8 years; mean total testosterone level, 417.5 +/- 197 ng/dL; mean baseline Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression score, 22.2 +/- 5.2; and median duration of the current depressive episode, 6.3 +/- 10.6 years. Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression scores decreased significantly in both testosterone (8.4) and placebo (7.4) groups. Antidepressant response, defined as a 50% decline in Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression score, was achieved by 53.8% (7/13) in the testosterone group and 23.1% (3/13) in the placebo group (P = 0.226). CONCLUSION: Both injectable testosterone and placebo supplementation to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor were associated with improvement in mood; group differences were not distinguishable in this small sample of predominantly eugonadal men with treatment-resistant depression.
RCT Entities:
BACKGROUND: Treatment-resistant depression is a persistent clinical problem. Exogenous testosterone therapy has psychotropic effects and has been proposed as an antidepressant supplement, although this strategy has received limited systematic study. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to examine the mood effects of testosterone supplementation to a serotonergic antidepressant in men with treatment-resistant depression. METHOD: Twenty-six healthy adult men with major depressive disorder, partial or nonresponse to 2 adequate antidepressant trials during the current episode, and currently using a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor were randomized under double-blind conditions to receive intramuscular injections of escalating doses of testosterone or placebo, in addition to their existing selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor regimen, for 6 weeks. The main outcome measure was the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression score. RESULTS: The mean age was 46.4 +/- 10.8 years; mean total testosterone level, 417.5 +/- 197 ng/dL; mean baseline Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression score, 22.2 +/- 5.2; and median duration of the current depressive episode, 6.3 +/- 10.6 years. Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression scores decreased significantly in both testosterone (8.4) and placebo (7.4) groups. Antidepressant response, defined as a 50% decline in Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression score, was achieved by 53.8% (7/13) in the testosterone group and 23.1% (3/13) in the placebo group (P = 0.226). CONCLUSION: Both injectable testosterone and placebo supplementation to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor were associated with improvement in mood; group differences were not distinguishable in this small sample of predominantly eugonadal men with treatment-resistant depression.
Authors: Jennifer B Dwyer; Awais Aftab; Rajiv Radhakrishnan; Alik Widge; Carolyn I Rodriguez; Linda L Carpenter; Charles B Nemeroff; William M McDonald; Ned H Kalin Journal: Am J Psychiatry Date: 2020-05-27 Impact factor: 18.112
Authors: Samantha Huo; Anthony R Scialli; Sean McGarvey; Elizabeth Hill; Buğra Tügertimur; Alycia Hogenmiller; Alessandra I Hirsch; Adriane Fugh-Berman Journal: PLoS One Date: 2016-09-21 Impact factor: 3.240
Authors: Laura A Colangelo; Lisa Sharp; Peter Kopp; Denise Scholtens; Brian C-H Chiu; Kiang Liu; Susan M Gapstur Journal: Psychoneuroendocrinology Date: 2007-07-30 Impact factor: 4.905