Pharmacopsychiatry 1997; 30(3): 97-105
DOI: 10.1055/s-2007-979490
Original Paper

© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York

A Double-blind Study Comparing Paroxetine and Maprotiline in Depressed Outpatients

A. Szegedi1 , H. Wetzel1 , D. Angersbach2 , G. C. Dunbar2 , H. Schwarze1 , M. Philipp1 , O. Benkert1
  • 1Department of Psychiatry, University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany
  • 2SmithKlineBeecham Pharma GmbH
Weitere Informationen

Publikationsverlauf

Publikationsdatum:
20. April 2007 (online)

A double-blind multicenter randomized parallel group study comparing paroxetine and maprotiline was carried out in a total of 544 outpatients. Included were patients with varying degrees of severity of depressive symptoms who fulfilled modified RDC criteria for either Minor or Major Depression and showed a HAMD-17 score of ≥ 13. No concomitant benzodiazepine treatment was allowed. Duration of treatment was 6 weeks, after an initial wash-out period. Doses were fixed during the first 3 weeks of treatment, patients receiving either 20 mg paroxetine or 100 mg maprotiline daily. An option for dose escalation was provided for insufficient responders after 3 weeks. The weekly assessments comprised rating of the HAMD-17, MADRS, BRMS, RDS, HAMA, CAS, and CGI scales and registration of adverse events by non-leading questions. An intention-to-treat and a completer analysis were performed. Response was defined as a HAMD-17 reduction of ≥ 50 % or a HAMD-17 score of ≤ 9 at the end of the study or at dropout. The treatment groups were comparable according to demographic data. Overall evaluation indicated equieffective and good antidepressant and anxiety-reducing properties for paroxetine and maprotiline. No persistent significant differences between treatment groups were observed on any assessment instrument. There was no difference in the frequency of observed side-effects, but side-effect profiles were markedly different, as maprotiline patients had more anticholinergic and paroxetine patients more SSRI-typical side-effects.