An acceptability analysis showed that SSRIs were generally well tolerated .
Conclusions These results suggest that there is insufficient evidence to reject the null hypothesis of no differences in efficacy between SSRIs and placebo in the treatment of depression in PD .
Background Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors ( SSRIs ) are the most commonly prescribed antidepressants for the treatment of depression in patients with Parkinson 's Disease ( PD ) but data on their efficacy are controversial .
Comparison of desipramine and citalopram treatments for depression in Parkinson's disease: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study.
Depression is one of the most common psychiatric disturbances in Parkinson 's disease ( PD ) . Recent review s have highlighted the lack of controlled trials and the ensuing difficulty in formulating recommendations for antidepressant use in PD . We sought to establish whether antidepressants provide real benefits and whether tricyclic and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor ( SSRI ) antidepressants differ in their short-term efficacy , because the time to onset of therapeutic benefit remains an important criterion in depression . The short-term efficacy ( after 14 and 30 days ) of two antidepressants ( desipramine , a predominantly noradrenergic reuptake inhibitor tricyclic and citalopram , a SSRI ) was assessed in a double-blind , r and omized , placebo- controlled study of 48 nondemented PD patients suffering from major depression . After 14 days , desipramine prompted an improvement in the Montgomery Asberg Depression Rating Scale ( MADRS ) score , compared with citalopram and placebo . Both antidepressants produced significant improvements in the MADRS score after 30 days . Mild adverse events were twice as frequent in the desipramine group as in the other groups . A predominantly noradrenergic tricyclic antidepressant induced a more intense short-term effect on parkinsonian depression than did an SSRI . However , desipramine 's lower tolerability may outweigh its slight short-term clinical advantage
An acceptability analysis showed that SSRIs were generally well tolerated .
Conclusions These results suggest that there is insufficient evidence to reject the null hypothesis of no differences in efficacy between SSRIs and placebo in the treatment of depression in PD .
Background Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors ( SSRIs ) are the most commonly prescribed antidepressants for the treatment of depression in patients with Parkinson 's Disease ( PD ) but data on their efficacy are controversial .