A differentiated approach to the choice of a neuroprotective drugs during complex antidepressant therapy of elderly depressive patients in a hospital setting

• Published in: European psychiatry 2024-08, Vol.67 (S1), p.S201-S201
• Main Authors: Pochueva, V, Yakovleva, O, Safarova, T
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Antidepressants; Drugs
• ISSN: 0924-9338; 1778-3585
• DOI: 10.1192/j.eurpsy.2024.434

IntroductionThe complex antidepressant therapy in combination with neuroprotectors increases the overall effectiveness of the treatment of depression in the elderly due to the group of the most difficult patients for therapy with ≥2 predictors of a low therapeutic response (LTRP), as well as in patients with complex (anxious, senesto-hypochondriacal, delusional) and prolonged (≥6 months) depressions.ObjectivesDevelopment of a differentiated approach to the choice of types of neuroprotective drugs in the course of complex antidepressant therapy in depressive elderly patients.MethodsWe studied groups of hospitalized patients aged ≥60 years with mild, moderate and severe depression (according to ICD-10) who received antidepressant monotherapy (comparison group) for 28 days (43 people) or complex antidepressant therapy in combination with carnicetin (20), cerebrolysin (20), citicoline (20), ethylmethylhydroxypyridine succinate (EMHPS) (25) and actovegin (25). Complaints about memory impairment, lonely living, and the presence of leukoaraiosis on brain CT were considered as LTRP. Efficacy of therapy (change in total HAMD-17 scores in %) was compared in subgroups with neuroprotectors and in the comparison group in patients with ≥2 LTRPs, as well as in patients with complex and prolonged depressions. Statistical analysis was performed.ResultsBy the 28th day of treatment, all patients with ≥2 LTRPs in the subgroups with the addition of any neuroprotectors were responders (≥50% change) with a significantly higher efficacy of therapy than in the monotherapy group (36.0%, p