Twenty-two subjects 6-12 years old who met Research Diagnostic Criteria
and DSM-III criteria for major depressive disorder received a fixed daily
dose of nortriptyline during an 8-week protocol. Weekly plasma levels were
measured; the raters performing behavioral assessments were blind to these
levels. There was a highly significant difference between the mean
steady-state plasma levels and the milligram-per- kilogram doses of the
responders and nonresponders. The data suggest that the lower limit of the
therapeutic range of nortriptyline in children (over 60 ng/ml) is similar
to that reported for adults. The disadvantages of the use of a
milligram-per-kilogram dose rather than a pharmacokinetic approach are
discussed.Abstract Teaser