Posted by ed_uk on August 13, 2005, at 9:20:19
Mirtazapine for prevention and treatment of post-stroke depression in patients with
acute stroke?Source J Clin Psychiatry. 2004 Dec;65(12):1619-23
According to a report in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, mirtazapine, initiated on the first day after acute
ischaemic stroke is effective in preventing the onset of depression.
The study aimed to examine whether prophylactic treatment with the antidepressant mirtazapine in patients
with acute stroke given from day 1 after the incidence prevents post-stroke depression.
The study involved 70 patients with ischaemic stroke who received either 30 mg mirtazapine or no
antidepressant medication from day 1 after the stroke in an open, randomised study design. Data were
collected for a period of 17 months. Patients were re-examined on days 7, 44, 90, 180, 270, and 360 using
neurologic, functional, and depression rating scales. Those post-stroke patients who developed depression
(DSM-IV criteria) but had been randomly assigned to the nontreatment group were given the antidepressant
mirtazapine after the diagnosis of depression had been established.
According to the researchers, 40% (14/35) of the nontreated patients and 5.7% (2/35) of the patients who
were treated with mirtazapine developed post-stroke depression. Fifteen of these remitted after initiation of
treatment with mirtazapine. The authors estimate that mirtazapine use will prevent 34 cases of depression for
every 100 stroke patients treated.
poster:ed_uk
thread:541013
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20050811/msgs/541013.html