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Maintenance desipramine for dysthymia: a placebo-controlled study
N L Miller1, J H Kocsis, A C Leon
1Department of Psychiatry, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY 10128, USA. nlmill@cs.com
Journal of Affective Disorders
|April 21, 2001
Summary
Maintenance pharmacotherapy with desipramine (DMI) is effective for pure dysthymia. Patients receiving DMI had significantly lower recurrence rates than those on placebo during a 2-year trial.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Clinical Psychology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Dysthymia, also known as persistent depressive disorder, is a chronic mood disorder.
- Pure dysthymia refers to cases without concurrent major depressive disorder.
- Limited research exists on maintenance pharmacotherapy for pure dysthymia.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the efficacy of desipramine as a maintenance treatment for pure dysthymia.
- To compare recurrence rates between desipramine and placebo in patients with pure dysthymia.
Main Methods:
- A 2-year placebo-controlled maintenance phase followed an open trial and continuation phase of desipramine.
- Eligible patients were responders to 7 months of desipramine treatment.
- The study analyzed a subgroup of 27 patients diagnosed with DSM-III-R pure dysthymia.
Main Results:
- None of the 14 patients receiving maintenance desipramine experienced recurrence.
- Six of 13 patients receiving placebo experienced recurrence within the first 6 months.
- The risk of recurrence was significantly higher in the placebo group.
Conclusions:
- Desipramine demonstrated efficacy in maintaining remission for patients with pure dysthymia.
- Further replication studies are recommended to confirm these findings.