Related Experiment Videos
Venlafaxine in dysthymic disorder
D L Dunner1, H E Hendrickson, C Bea
1Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle 98105, USA.
The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry
|February 4, 1998
Summary
Venlafaxine effectively treats dysthymic disorder, a chronic depression. This novel antidepressant demonstrated significant symptom improvement and good tolerability compared to older treatments.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Pharmacology
- Clinical Psychology
Background:
- Dysthymic disorder is a chronic depression with lower severity scores than major depressive disorder.
- Newer antidepressants show promise for better tolerability than older tricyclic antidepressants.
- Venlafaxine is a structurally novel antidepressant for evaluating dysthymic disorder treatment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the efficacy and tolerability of venlafaxine in patients diagnosed with dysthymic disorder.
- To compare venlafaxine's effectiveness against established treatments for chronic depression.
Main Methods:
- Seventeen patients with dysthymic disorder were enrolled in an open-label, 9-week study.
- Diagnosis was confirmed via psychiatric interview; depression severity was assessed using the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D) and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI).
- Venlafaxine dosage ranged from 18.75 mg twice daily to a maximum of 225 mg/day.
Main Results:
- Significant improvements in HAM-D and BDI scores were observed across all 17 patients.
- Two distinct response patterns emerged: 7 patients responded to low-dose (75 mg) venlafaxine, while 7 others required the maximum dose for considerable improvement.
- Observed side effects were consistent with previous venlafaxine studies; no significant increase in blood pressure was noted.
Conclusions:
- Venlafaxine is a viable treatment option for dysthymic disorder.
- The study supports venlafaxine's equal efficacy and superior tolerability compared to tricyclic antidepressants for chronic depression.
- Venlafaxine offers a promising therapeutic alternative for managing dysthymic disorder.