A double-blind, placebo-controlled study of sertraline in the prevention of depression in stroke patients.

The authors tested the effect of sertraline in the prevention of poststroke depression. After experiencing an acute ischemic stroke, nondepressed patients (N=137) were randomly assigned to 12 months of double-blind treatment with either sertraline (N=70) or placebo (N=67). Kaplan-Meier analysis showed sertraline to have significantly superior prophylactic efficacy compared with placebo.

Efficacy of citalopram in the prevention of recurrent depression in elderly patients: placebo-controlled study of maintenance therapy.

Background: The highly recurrent nature of major depression in the young and the elderly warrants long-term antidepressant treatment.

Aims: To compare the prophylactic efficacy of citalopram and placebo in elderly patients; to evaluate long-term tolerability of citalopram.

Method: Out-patients, > or =65 years, with unipolar major depression (DSM-IV: 296.