A randomized, placebo-controlled trial of sertraline for prophylactic treatment of highly recurrent major depressive disorder.

Objective: Previous antidepressant maintenance trials have used the same medication from acute through maintenance phases, confounding the interpretation of prophylactic effects. The purpose of this study was to determine whether sertraline prevents the recurrence of major depressive disorder among patients with recurrent depression who had been treated to remission with medications other than sertraline.

Method: Patients who had experienced at least three documented episodes of major depressive disorder within the last 4 years and who were currently in full remission were eligible.

Reboxetine, a new noradrenaline selective antidepressant, is at least as effective as fluoxetine in the treatment of depression.

The clinical profile of reboxetine, a selective noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor, was compared with that of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor fluoxetine and placebo in a double-blind, multicenter, parallel-group clinical trial of patients with major depression. Among the 381 patients treated with reboxetine 8 to 10 mg/day, fluoxetine 20 to 40 mg/day, or placebo for up to 8 weeks, a statistically significant greater reduction in the mean Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (21-item HAM-D) total score (the primary efficacy variable) was seen for both active treatment groups compared with placebo (p < 0.024).