Maintenance desipramine for dysthymia: a placebo-controlled study. Academic Article uri icon

Overview

abstract

  • BACKGROUND: This study examines the efficacy of maintenance pharmacotherapy in dysthymia without concurrent major depression, i.e. 'pure dysthymia'. No published data exist on this topic. METHODS: Responders to a 10-week open trial of desipramine (DMI) whose therapeutic response persisted during a 4-month continuation phase were eligible to begin a 2-year placebo-controlled maintenance phase. We analyzed the subgroup with DSM-III-R pure dysthymia (n=27) that entered maintenance. Time to recurrence during maintenance therapy was compared between the two treatment groups. RESULTS: Six of 13 patients receiving placebo and none of 14 patients receiving ongoing DMI experienced a recurrence. Risk of recurrence was significantly greater for placebo patients. Five of six placebo recurrences occurred within the first 6 months of maintenance. LIMITATIONS: Larger replication studies are needed. CONCLUSION: Desipramine was efficacious as a maintenance treatment in patients with pure dysthymia who responded to 7 months of acute and continuation DMI.

publication date

  • May 1, 2001

Research

keywords

  • Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic
  • Dysthymic Disorder

Identity

Scopus Document Identifier

  • 0035063180

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  • 10.1016/s0165-0327(00)00256-1

PubMed ID

  • 11313089

Additional Document Info

volume

  • 64

issue

  • 2-3