Clinical outcome and tolerability of sertraline in major depression: A study with plasma levels

• Published in: Progress in neuro-psychopharmacology & biological psychiatry 2002-04, Vol.26 (3), p.597-601
• Main Authors: Mauri, Massimo C., Laini, Valerio, Cerveri, Giancarlo, Scalvini, Marta E., Volonteri, Lucia S., Regispani, Francesca, Malvini, Lara, Manfré, Sergio, Boscati, Luigi, Panza, Gabriele
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Age Factors; Aged; Analysis of Variance; Biological and medical sciences; Depressive Disorder, Major - blood; Depressive Disorder, Major - drug therapy; Depressive Disorder, Major - psychology; Female; Humans; Major depression; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Neuropharmacology; Pharmacokinetics; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Plasma levels; Psychoanaleptics: cns stimulant, antidepressant agent, nootropic agent, mood stabilizer..., (alzheimer disease); Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopharmacology; Sertraline; Sertraline - adverse effects; Sertraline - blood; Sertraline - therapeutic use; Treatment Outcome
• ISSN: 0278-5846; 1878-4216
• DOI: 10.1016/S0278-5846(01)00314-1

Sertraline (SRT) has been shown to be an effective antidepressant in extensive clinical trial programs but data on plasma concentrations regarding clinical outcome and tolerability are lacking. Twenty-one out-patients of both sexes, with mean age of 50.23 years (S.D.=17.37), affected by major depressive disorder, recurrent (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder—IV, DSM-IV), were treated with 25–150 mg of SRT once a day (mean=66.26 mg, S.D.=30.50) for 30 days. Clinical evaluation was assessed at baseline (T0), after 15 days (T15), and then after 30 days (T30). Plasma samples for SRT level determination were collected at T30. Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS), Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRS-D), and Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety (HRS-A) showed a significant improvement during the study ( P