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 .
Amisulpride versus fluoxetine in patients with dysthymia or major depression in partial remission: a double-blind, comparative study.
In a multicentre , double blind , parallel group study 281 patients with DSM III-R diagnosis of dysthymia or a single episode of major depression in partial remission were r and omised to 3 months of treatment with amisulpride  50 mg/day or fluoxetine  20 mg/day . The baseline Montgomery and Asberg Depression Rating Scale ( MADRS ) total score was reduced by at least 50 % in 74.1 % of patients ( 103/139 ) with amisulpride and 67.4 % ( 87/129 ) with fluoxetine ( P = 0.230 ) . No significant differences between treatment groups were found in the reductions in mean total score with the MADRS , Widlöcher psychomotor retardation scale , Sheehan disability scale , and CGI . Anxiety measured by HAM-A total mean score decreased significantly more with amisulpride ( 63 % ) than with fluoxetine ( 54 % ; P = 0.021 ) . There were 13 dropouts due to adverse events with amisulpride and ten with fluoxetine . The number of patients reporting at least one adverse event was similar in the two groups ( amisulpride 47.5 % ; fluoxetine 40.9 % ) . As expected , in the amisulpride group endocrine-like adverse events in female patients were the most common , while nausea , dyspepsia , anorexia and insomnia occurred more frequently with fluoxetine
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 .