The pharmacological treatment of delusional depression

Am J Psychiatry. 1985 Apr;142(4):430-6. doi: 10.1176/ajp.142.4.430.

Abstract

The authors investigated the pharmacological treatment of delusional depression by assigning patients on a random double-blind basis to amitriptyline alone, perphenazine alone, or a combination of the two. Fourteen (78%) of the 18 patients assigned to amitriptyline plus perphenazine were responders, compared with seven (41%) of 17 patients treated with amitriptyline alone and three (19%) of the 16 patients treated with perphenazine alone. The combination of amitriptyline and perphenazine was clearly superior (p less than .01).

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • Comparative Study
  • Randomized Controlled Trial
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Amitriptyline / therapeutic use*
  • Bipolar Disorder / complications
  • Bipolar Disorder / drug therapy
  • Bipolar Disorder / psychology
  • Clinical Trials as Topic
  • Delusions / complications
  • Delusions / drug therapy*
  • Delusions / psychology
  • Depressive Disorder / complications
  • Depressive Disorder / drug therapy*
  • Depressive Disorder / psychology
  • Double-Blind Method
  • Drug Synergism
  • Drug Therapy, Combination
  • Female
  • Hospitalization
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Perphenazine / therapeutic use*
  • Prospective Studies
  • Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
  • Random Allocation

Substances

  • Amitriptyline
  • Perphenazine