Antidepressant drug therapy in the elderly--a critical review of the controlled clinical trials conducted since 1980.

We report on the results of controlled clinical antidepressant trials with elderly depressed patients which meet certain methodological requirements and have been published since 1980. The safety, tolerability, and efficacy of the investigated compounds are reviewed. In the light of the diagnostic problems and the altered pharmacokinetic behavior in this special age group we conclude that the progress in scientific knowledge in the last 13 years has only been moderate.