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 .
Comparative efficacy of sertraline vs. fluoxetine in patients age 70 or over with major depression.
Using data from a larger 12-week clinical trial , the authors evaluated the comparative efficacy and safety of sertraline  ( n=42 ) and fluoxetine  ( n=33 ) in patients over age 70 with a diagnosis of major depressive disorder . Similar improvement on measures of depression , including remission of depressive symptoms , was evident , although significantly more sertraline-treated patients achieved a criterion clinical response . Significantly greater improvement for the sertraline group was apparent on the Digit Symbol Substitution Test , but not on two other measures of cognitive functioning . Although there was no difference in the rate of adverse events experienced , fluoxetine-treated patients lost significantly more body weight over the 12-week trial than did sertraline-treated patients , whereas the latter group exhibited significantly more " shaking .
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 .