Sulpiride and placebo in depressed elderly outpatients: A double-blind study

✍ Scribed by Sirkka-Liisa Kivelä; Erkki Lehtomäki

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1987
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 423 KB
• Volume: 2
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0885-6230
• DOI: 10.1002/gps.930020409

✦ Synopsis

In a controlled double-blind study, sulpiride 10G200mg daily or placebo was administered over a five-month period to 22 and 24 depressive elderly outpatients. The majority of the patinets in both groups were diagnosed as suffering from relatively mild degrees of depression, i.e. from dysthymic disorder (chronic depression) or atypical depression. According to the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression, the average symptomatology decreased from 19.7 to 15.7 points in the sulpiride group and from 22.8 to 17.0 points in the placebo group. The scores of three patients in the sulpiride group and those of four patients in the placebo group decreased by 50% or more. The corresponding figures for a decrease of 2549% were six and nine, respectively. The effect of sulpiride on depressive symptoms did not differ from the effect of p:acebo. The results showed that sulpiride in small doses had no antidepressant effects on elderly patients suffering from relatively mild degrees of depression, i.e. from dysthymic disorder (chronic depression) or atypical depression. KEY WORDS-sUlpiride, substituted benzamides, depression, aged.