Major depressive disorder, sleep EEG and agomelatine: an open-label study.

This open study evaluates the effect of agomelatine, a melatonergic receptor agonist and 5-HT2C antagonist antidepressant, on sleep architecture in patients suffering from major depressive disorder. Fifteen outpatients with a baseline HAMD score > or = 20 were treated with 25 mg/d agomelatine for 42 d. Polysomographic studies were performed at baseline, day 7, day 14, and day 42.

Initial increase of plasma serotonin: a biological predictor for the antidepressant response to clomipramine?

Hypofunction of the serotonin (5-HT) system might be involved in depression. Initial effects of the 5-HT reuptake inhibitor clomipramine (CMI) on plasma 5-HT have never been assessed. On Day 1, 27 depressed patients received either a 25-mg CMI slow infusion or a 25-mg CMI tablet in a randomized, double-blind, double-dummy design.