Relationship between blood concentrations and clinical effects of a new antidepressant "maprotiline"

In conducting the double-blind controlled study of antidepressants, observations were carried out on the relationship between Maprotiline/Desmethylmaprotiline, concentrations in blood and antidepressive effects, the doses and the incidence of side effects. 1) The maprotiline concentration in the effective group (markedly improved + moderately improved) was 306.9 +/- 112.9 ng/ml, and 244.4 +/- 43.0 ng/ml in the non-effective group (slightly improved + unchanged + aggavated). There was no statistically difference between both groups. 2) Correlations of the maprotiline concentration in blood and together with desmethylmaprotiline to the efficacy (the variation rates in Hamilton's scores) showed a tendency toward higher concentrations in blood with higher therapeutic responses. 3) Side effects were observed in all of the patients with the concentration in blood higher than the mean value (265.2 ng/ml).