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Amitriptyline in Depressive States: Six-month Treatment Results

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 January 2018

Anthony Hordern
Affiliation:
State Department of Mental Hygiene, Sacramento, California, U.S.A.
C. G. Burt
Affiliation:
Beechworth Hospital, Victoria, Australia
W. F. Gordon
Affiliation:
Royal Park Psychiatric Hospital, Victoria, Australia
N. F. Holt
Affiliation:
Mental Health Research Institute, Victoria, Australia

Extract

The proven effectiveness of electroconvulsive therapy (E.C.T.) and antidepressant drugs has lately led to a resurgence of interest in the treatment of depressive states. Amongst the principal problems currently confronting the clinician, the following would seem to be particularly pertinent: should E.C.T. be used in preference to drugs or vice versa? Which drug is to be preferred? Can drug response be predicted? How long should drugs be given? When are drugs contra-indicated? Given in maintenance dosage after a depressive episode, do antidepressants lower the rate of relapse? This paper, the third report on an investigation of the effectiveness of amitriptyline (‘Tryptizol’, ‘Elavil’, ‘Tryptanol’) and imipramine (‘Tofranil’) in depressive states, sets out to answer the above questions in the light of the results that were obtained.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1964 

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