[Augmentation with carnicetine for late depression]

Comparative evaluation of the efficacy and safety of antidepressant monotherapy and complex antidepressant therapy in combination with carnicetine in the treatment of depression in elderly patients in a psychiatric hospital.

Two groups of hospitalized patients, aged from 60 to 79 years, with mild or moderate depression (according to ICD-10), comparable in basic demographic and clinical characteristics, received mono- or complex (in combination with carnicetine) antidepressant therapy for 8 weeks. Treatment efficacy was assessed with HAM-D, HARS, CGI-S and CGI-I; the level of cognitive activity was assessed with MMSE, the 10-word memory test and clock drawing test.

It has been established that the use of complex antidepressants therapy with the inclusion of carnicetine allows to achieve a more rapid and pronounced therapeutic response compared to antidepressant monotherapy. This is confirmed by the earlier (by the 4th week) and significant reduction of depressive and anxiety symptoms (p<0.01), a greater number of responders and better quality of depressive outcomes to the end of treatment and a more rapid improvement in cognitive functioning.

The results allow us to recommend the inclusion of carnicetine for the augmentation of antidepressant therapy in elderly patients of the psychiatric hospital to achieve a more rapid and complete therapeutic response and reduce the duration of hospitalization.