Am J Psychiatry 1986; 143:1387-1392
Copyright © 1986 by American Psychiatric Association

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Variability of response to lithium augmentation in refractory depression

LH Price, DS Charney and GR Heninger

Eighty-four patients with major depression refractory to a controlled antidepressant trial had lithium added to their ongoing treatment. Objective symptom ratings showed highly significant improvement in the sample as a whole. At discharge or after 24 days, 31% of the patients showed a marked response, 25% a partial response. Thus, 56% of patients had a significant positive response, while 44% were nonresponders. This study indicates that response to lithium augmentation may be quite variable and a 3-week trial is necessary to assess full benefit.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				R. H. Perlis, D. V. Iosifescu, J. Alpert, A. A. Nierenberg, J. F. Rosenbaum, and M. Fava Effect of Medical Comorbidity on Response to Fluoxetine Augmentation or Dose Increase in Outpatients With Treatment-Resistant Depression Psychosomatics, June 1, 2004; 45(3): 224 - 229. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				T. Dinan Treatment approaches to therapy-resistant depression J Psychopharmacol, January 1, 1995; 9(2_suppl): 199 - 204. [Abstract] [PDF]

				L. H. Price and G. R. Heninger Lithium in the Treatment of Mood Disorders N. Engl. J. Med., September 1, 1994; 331(9): 591 - 598. [Full Text]

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