A Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study of Sertraline in the Prevention of Depression in Stroke Patients

• Published in: Psychosomatics (Washington, D.C.) D.C.), 2003-05, Vol.44 (3), p.216-221
• Main Authors: Rasmussen, Alice, Lunde, Marianne, Poulsen, Dorte Loldrup, Sørensen, Karen, Qvitzau, Susanne, Bech, Per
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aged; Antidepressive Agents - administration & dosage; Antidepressive Agents - adverse effects; Biological and medical sciences; Cerebral Infarction - psychology; Depressive Disorder - diagnosis; Depressive Disorder - prevention & control; Depressive Disorder - psychology; Double-Blind Method; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Neuropharmacology; Personality Inventory; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Psychoanaleptics: cns stimulant, antidepressant agent, nootropic agent, mood stabilizer..., (alzheimer disease); Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychometrics; Psychopharmacology; Sertraline - administration & dosage; Sertraline - adverse effects; Treatment Outcome
• ISSN: 0033-3182; 1545-7206
• DOI: 10.1176/appi.psy.44.3.216

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. Two definitions of clinical depression were used: total score > 18 on the HAM-D 17 and score ≥ 9 on the HAM-D 6. Approximately 10% of the sertraline-treated group developed depression according to either definition, whereas 30% developed depression in the placebo group. On the HAM-D 6 the superiority of sertraline to placebo was demonstrated already after 6 weeks of therapy. Treatment was well tolerated; patients treated with sertraline experienced significantly fewer adverse events.