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Predicting Therapeutic Results with Levoprotiline and Maprotiline in Major Depression: The Role of the Outcome Criteria

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 August 2018

V. Filip*
Affiliation:
Prague Psychiatric Centre, Prague, Czech Republic
C. Höschl
Affiliation:
3rd School of Medicine, Charles University, and Director, Prague Psychiatric Centre, Prague, Czech Republic
P. Karen
Affiliation:
Prague Psychiatric Centre, Prague, Czech Republic
D. Seifertová
Affiliation:
Prague Psychiatric Centre, Prague, Czech Republic
L. Bornová
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Faculty Hospital, Pilsen, Czech Republic
H. Praŝková
Affiliation:
Prague Psychiatric Centre, Prague, Czech Republic
J. Praŝko
Affiliation:
Prague Psychiatric Centre, Prague, Czech Republic
*
Prague Psychiatric Centre, Ústavní 91, 181 03 Prague 8, Czech Republic

Abstract

We describe a double-blind study involving 58 in-patients with major depression (DSM-III). After one week on placebo, the patients were randomly assigned to either levoprotiline or maprotiline treatment for three weeks. In the next three weeks, responders were maintained on the same medication and non-responders were shifted to treatment with the complementary drug. After the initial three weeks' treatment, 31% of levoprotiline patients and 58% of maprotiline patients had responded. Both in the initial three-week treatment period and after shifting non-responders to the complementary drug, there were significant differences in favour of maprotiline. The comparison of properties of different outcome criteria in prediction analyses shows that the final score gives the best agreement with global evaluation; using the delta score (final minus baseline) or ratio score (final/baseline) as the outcome criterion may yield paradoxical results.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © 1993 The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

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