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A double-blind comparative trial of oxaprotiline with amitriptyline and placebo in outpatients with moderate depression: relationship of urinary MHPG levels

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Frontiers in Neuropsychiatric Research

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Abstract

The use of urinary 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol (MHPG) as a predictor of clinical responsiveness to oxaprotiline or amitriptyline was determined in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter trial involving outpatients with moderate depression. Using the total Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS), oxaprotiline and amitriptyline were found to be equally effective and both were statistically superior to placebo. At the final visit, oxaprotiline, but not amitriptyline, was statistically superior to placebo for the Anxiety/Somatization Factor of the HDRS. At the same time, amitriptyline was statistically superior to oxaprotiline and placebo for the Sleep Disturbance Factor. The number of patients who were discontinued from the trial as a result of side-effects was significantly higher in the amitriptyline group than in the oxaprotiline group. Baseline urinary (MHPG) levels were divided into four subgroups and the success to failure ratio for each treatment was calculated for each subgroup. The rate of response to oxaprotiline was particularly high (72%) in the subgroup of patients with baseline urinary MHPG levels of 1501–2500 μg/24 h. In contrast, the rate of response to amitriptyline was quite low (30%) in the subgroup.

M. Roffman (Principal Coordinator), E.E. Gould (Coordinator), S.J. Bewer, H. Lau, B. Sachais, R.B. Dixon, L. Kaczmarek and A. LeSher, from the Research & Development Department, Pharmaceuticals Division, CIBA-GEIGY Corporation, Summit, NJ.

and

F. Abuzzahab, J.P. Feighner, A. Friedhoff, N. Cohen and M. Alpert; T. Itil, S. Mukherjee, S.T. Michael and R.D. Shrivastava; A. Rosenbaum; A. Schatzberg and J.O. Cole; D. Sweeney; C. Weise; B. Weiss; and J.J. Schildkraut and P.J. Orsulak.

Current affiliation and address for R.B. Dixon: Schering Laboratories, Kenilworth, NJ.

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The Oxaprotiline Study Group

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, California College of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, USA

    Earl Usdin

  2. Department of Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine, New York, USA

    Menek Goldstein , Arnold Friedhoff  & Anastasios Georgotas ,  & 

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The Oxaprotiline Study Group. (1983). A double-blind comparative trial of oxaprotiline with amitriptyline and placebo in outpatients with moderate depression: relationship of urinary MHPG levels. In: Usdin, E., Goldstein, M., Friedhoff, A., Georgotas, A. (eds) Frontiers in Neuropsychiatric Research. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-06689-6_23

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-06689-6_23

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