Am J Psychiatry 1996; 153:414-416
Copyright © 1996 by American Psychiatric Association
Fluvoxamine alone in the treatment of delusional depression
F Gatti, L Bellini, M Gasperini, J Perez, R Zanardi and E Smeraldi
Istituto Scientifico H. San Raffaele, Department of Neuropsychiatric Sciences, University of Milan, Italy.
OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of
fluvoxamine in the treatment of delusional depression. METHOD: Fifty- nine
inpatients who met the DSM-III-R criteria for major depression with
psychotic features were treated with fluvoxamine for 6 weeks. Patients were
assessed at baseline and weekly thereafter with the Hamilton Depression
Rating Scale and the Dimensions of Delusional Experience rating scale.
RESULTS: Of the 57 subjects completed the trial, 84.2% (N=48) recovered.
The index episodes of the patients who did not respond to fluvoxamine were
of significantly longer duration than those of the responders. CONCLUSIONS:
Fluvoxamine has a response rate similar to that of the currently most
efficacious treatments for delusional depression, including antidepressants
plus antipsychotics and ECT.
