SSRIs significantly increase the risk of both serious and non-serious adverse events .
The potential small beneficial effects seem to be outweighed by harmful effects .
Background The evidence on selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors ( SSRIs ) for major depressive disorder is unclear .
Methods Our objective was to conduct a systematic review assessing the effects of SSRIs versus placebo , ‘ active ’ placebo , or no intervention in adult participants with major depressive disorder .
The Antidepressant Treatment Response Index and Treatment Outcomes in a Placebo-Controlled Trial of Fluoxetine
Summary Recent research aims at developing a biomarker to predict antidepressant treatment outcomes in major depressive disorder . The Antidepressant Treatment Response ( ATR ) index has been correlated with response to antidepressant medication ( Leuchter et al. , 2009a , 2009b ) but has not been assessed in a placebo-controlled trial . EEGs recorded at pretreatment baseline and after 1 week of r and omized treatment were used to calculate ATR index for 23 subjects with major depressive disorder who were treated for 8 weeks with fluoxetine ( FLX ) 20 mg  ( n = 12 ) or placebo  ( n = 11 ) . The 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale ( HamD17 ) assessed symptom severity ; ATR index was assessed as a predictor of percent change in HamD17 score , endpoint response ( ≥ 50 % improvement ) and remission ( HamD17 score ⩽ 7 ) . The ATR index was significantly associated with improvement on FLX ( r = 0.64 , P = 0.01 ) , with a higher mean ATR index for FLX responders than for nonresponders ( t(10 ) = −2.07 , P = 0.03 ) . Receiver operating characteristic analysis found a 0.83 area under the curve ( P = 0.03 ) , for ATR index as a predictor for FLX , while an optimized ATR index cutoff of 47.3 yielded 100 % sensitivity , 66.7 % specificity , 75 % positive predictive value , and 100 % negative predictive value . Importantly , ATR index did not correlate significantly with placebo outcomes . Results extend ATR index findings to include predictive validity with fluoxetine , suggesting that this biomarker has specificity for drug effects
SSRIs significantly increase the risk of both serious and non-serious adverse events .
The potential small beneficial effects seem to be outweighed by harmful effects .
Background The evidence on selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors ( SSRIs ) for major depressive disorder is unclear .
Methods Our objective was to conduct a systematic review assessing the effects of SSRIs versus placebo , ‘ active ’ placebo , or no intervention in adult participants with major depressive disorder .