RESUMEN
Little has been done to study the effectiveness of antidepressants in controlling anxiety/depression in a population of cancer patients. A double-blind placebo-controlled study was therefore designed to assess the effectiveness of 20 mg fluoxetine. Of 115 cancer patients who fulfilled entry criteria for levels of distress, 45 patients were randomized to a fluoxetine treatment group (FA) and 46 patients to a placebo group (PA) after a 1-week placebo period designed to exclude placebo responders. The Montgomery and Asberg Depression Scale (MADRS), the Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAS), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), the Revised Symptom Checklist (SCL90-R) and the Spitzer Quality of Life Index (SQOLI) were used to assess the efficacy of fluoxetine. The response rate, defined by a HADS score lower than 8 after 5 weeks of treatment, was not significantly higher in the FA group (11%) compared to the PA group (7%). Compared to the PA group, patients in the FA group showed a significantly greater decrease in SCL90-R mean total score after 5 weeks, but not a greater decrease in HADS mean score. No difference between the two groups was found in observer-reported assessments (MADRS, HAS and SQOLI). Significantly more drop-outs were observed in the FA group (n = 15) than in the PA group (n = 7), although the frequencies of side-effects were not significantly different.
Asunto(s)
Antidepresivos de Segunda Generación/uso terapéutico , Trastornos de Ansiedad/tratamiento farmacológico , Trastorno Depresivo/tratamiento farmacológico , Fluoxetina/uso terapéutico , Neoplasias/psicología , Adulto , Anciano , Antidepresivos de Segunda Generación/efectos adversos , Trastornos de Ansiedad/diagnóstico , Trastornos de Ansiedad/psicología , Trastorno Depresivo/diagnóstico , Trastorno Depresivo/psicología , Método Doble Ciego , Femenino , Fluoxetina/efectos adversos , Humanos , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Inventario de Personalidad , Resultado del TratamientoRESUMEN
During a double-blind trial about using TRH perfusions, the authors didn't established any antidepressive effect. On the other hand they observed an anxiety reaction under a 1,200 microgram in perfusion. The study of the basic level of T3, T4, T.S.H. and Prolactin corroborated the normality of the biological evaluation among the depressed. No difference of the hormonal response under T.R.H. was established depending on different types of depression. The authors reported that the Prolactin respons is higher among the subjects for whom the T.R.H. was the more distressing.