Conclusions : International differences in prescriber behaviour may influence , and in turn be influenced by , the conduct of clinical trials .
Objective : International differences are thought to exist in dosages used by clinicians treating mood disorders .
This study examined international dosage differences in antidepressant clinical trials , using a data base formed and maintained as a component of a Cochrane review of comparative clinical trials of fluoxetine .
A double-blind controlled clinical trial of fluoxetine and amitriptyline in the treatment of outpatients with major depressive disorder.
Fluoxetine , a specific serotonin reuptake inhibitor , was compared to amitriptyline in the treatment of 51 out patients with primary major depressive disorder . After a 1-week placebo washout , patients were r and omly assigned to 5 weeks of treatment with fluoxetine or amitriptyline . Fluoxetine was found to have a therapeutic effect comparable to that of amitriptyline ; however , the fluoxetine treatment group had a better Efficacy Index-Side Effects rating and a lower incidence of anticholinergic autonomic side effects . Four amitriptyline-treated patients had to discontinue the study because of serious side effects , while in the fluoxetine treatment group there were no terminations due to side effects . The amitriptyline-treated patients gained significantly more weight than the fluoxetine-treated patients
Conclusions : International differences in prescriber behaviour may influence , and in turn be influenced by , the conduct of clinical trials .
Objective : International differences are thought to exist in dosages used by clinicians treating mood disorders .
This study examined international dosage differences in antidepressant clinical trials , using a data base formed and maintained as a component of a Cochrane review of comparative clinical trials of fluoxetine .