BACKGROUND: The efficacy and safety of fluoxetine (N = 65; median sustained dose, 20 mg/day) and of trazodone (N = 61; median sustained dose, 250 mg/day) were compared in a trial in outpatients with major depressive episode. The incidence and temporal patterns of activation and sedation were also assessed. METHOD: Men and women who met DSM-III criteria for nonpsychotic major depressive episode (but with a current episode greater than or equal to 4 weeks) and had a 21-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D21) score greater than 20 were selected. After single-blind placebo was administered for 1 week, eligible patients were randomized to double-blind fluoxetine or trazodone treatment for up to 6 weeks. Efficacy (HAM-D21, Clinical Global Impressions Scales for Severity and Improvement, Patient Global Impressions Scale for Improvement, Guild Memory Test) and adverse events were evaluated weekly. RESULTS: The HAM-D21 score improved within both treatment groups (p less than .001). The groups were similar with respect to endpoint mean HAM-D21 improvement. For individual adverse events that developed or worsened during therapy, more fluoxetine-treated patients reported rhinitis and tremor (p less than or equal to .05), while more trazodone-treated patients reported somnolence and dizziness (p less than or equal to .05). More combined events suggesting activation (agitation, anxiety, nervousness, insomnia) were reported with fluoxetine than with trazodone (15.4% vs. 3.3%, p less than or equal to .05), while more combined events suggesting sedation (somnolence, asthenia) were reported with trazodone than with fluoxetine (42.6% vs. 21.5%, p less than or equal to .05). Discontinuation rates for activation and sedation did not differ between treatments. Numerically, more sedation (21.5%) than activation (15.4%) was reported with fluoxetine. CONCLUSIONS: There was little clinical difference between treatments with regard to efficacy and safety. The occurrence and temporal patterns of activation and sedation differed within and between treatments.
RCT Entities:
BACKGROUND: The efficacy and safety of fluoxetine (N = 65; median sustained dose, 20 mg/day) and of trazodone (N = 61; median sustained dose, 250 mg/day) were compared in a trial in outpatients with major depressive episode. The incidence and temporal patterns of activation and sedation were also assessed. METHOD:Men and women who met DSM-III criteria for nonpsychotic major depressive episode (but with a current episode greater than or equal to 4 weeks) and had a 21-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D21) score greater than 20 were selected. After single-blind placebo was administered for 1 week, eligible patients were randomized to double-blind fluoxetine or trazodone treatment for up to 6 weeks. Efficacy (HAM-D21, Clinical Global Impressions Scales for Severity and Improvement, Patient Global Impressions Scale for Improvement, Guild Memory Test) and adverse events were evaluated weekly. RESULTS: The HAM-D21 score improved within both treatment groups (p less than .001). The groups were similar with respect to endpoint mean HAM-D21 improvement. For individual adverse events that developed or worsened during therapy, more fluoxetine-treated patients reported rhinitis and tremor (p less than or equal to .05), while more trazodone-treated patients reported somnolence and dizziness (p less than or equal to .05). More combined events suggesting activation (agitation, anxiety, nervousness, insomnia) were reported with fluoxetine than with trazodone (15.4% vs. 3.3%, p less than or equal to .05), while more combined events suggesting sedation (somnolence, asthenia) were reported with trazodone than with fluoxetine (42.6% vs. 21.5%, p less than or equal to .05). Discontinuation rates for activation and sedation did not differ between treatments. Numerically, more sedation (21.5%) than activation (15.4%) was reported with fluoxetine. CONCLUSIONS: There was little clinical difference between treatments with regard to efficacy and safety. The occurrence and temporal patterns of activation and sedation differed within and between treatments.
Authors: Jackie K Gollan; Maurizio Fava; Benji Kurian; Stephen R Wisniewski; A John Rush; Ella Daly; Sachiko Miyahara; Madhukar H Trivedi Journal: Depress Anxiety Date: 2011-12-06 Impact factor: 6.505
Authors: Barbara Nussbaumer; Laura C Morgan; Ursula Reichenpfader; Amy Greenblatt; Richard A Hansen; Megan Van Noord; Linda Lux; Bradley N Gaynes; Gerald Gartlehner Journal: CNS Drugs Date: 2014-08 Impact factor: 5.749
Authors: Gerald Gartlehner; Patricia Thieda; Richard A Hansen; Bradley N Gaynes; Angela Deveaugh-Geiss; Erin E Krebs; Kathleen N Lohr Journal: Drug Saf Date: 2008 Impact factor: 5.606