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Early improvement as a predictor of response to amitriptyline and nortriptyline: a comparison of 2 patient samples

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2009

W. Coryell*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
A. Coppen
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
V. E. Zeigler
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
J. T. Biggs
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
*
1Address for correspondence: Dr William Coryell, Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa, 500 Newton Road, Iowa City, Iowa 52242, USA.

Synopsis

This study compared serial severity ratings from 2 methodologically similar tricyclic antidepressant studies. Though the groups resembled each other in terms of diagnosis and baseline severity, response patterns were surprisingly different. In particular, early change was highly predictive of outcome in one group but not in the other. The results of response predictor studies must, therefore, be generalized with caution. These data, nevertheless, do allow some guidelines for predicting response from early changes and severity.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1982

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References

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