1. Open pergolide treatment of tricyclic and heterocyclic antidepressant-resistant depression
- Author
-
Ichiro Kusumi, T. Ohmori, Takeshi Inoue, Shoji Shimanaka, Kenzo Denda, Nobuki Kitagawa, Tsukasa Koyama, Takeshi Izumi, Nobuyuki Nishi, Yoshito Takahashi, and Yuji Odagaki
- Subjects
Adult ,Male ,Pharmacology ,Dopamine agonist ,Heterocyclic antidepressant ,medicine ,Humans ,Treatment Failure ,Aged ,chemistry.chemical_classification ,Pergolide ,Depressive Disorder, Major ,Standard treatment ,Middle Aged ,medicine.disease ,Antidepressive Agents ,Psychiatry and Mental health ,Clinical Psychology ,chemistry ,Dopamine receptor ,Anesthesia ,Dopamine Agonists ,Antidepressant ,Female ,Psychology ,Treatment-resistant depression ,medicine.drug ,Tricyclic - Abstract
Background: Recently, a dopamine hypothesis of depression was put forward, and several studies have demonstrated that direct and indirect dopamine agonists have antidepressant effects. Methods: Using Clinical Global Impressions, we evaluated the efficacy of 4-week treatment of pergolide as an antidepressant adjuvant involving 20 unipolar depressed patients who were refractory to standard treatment with antidepressants. Results: One patients (5%) were very much improved, seven (35%) much improved, four (20%) minimally improved, six (30%) no change or worse, and two (10%) not assessed. There was no significant difference in any clinical factors between the pergolide responder and non-responder group. Limitations: This study was a non-blind open trial, and pergolide was added to tricyclic and heterocyclic antidepressants. Conclusion: Pergolide may be useful as an antidepressant adjuvant, suggesting a potential role for dopamine-2 stimulation in the antidepressant response.
- Published
- 2000
- Full Text
- View/download PDF