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 comparison of fluoxetine and amitriptyline in the treatment of major depression.
Fluoxetine , a new serotonin uptake blocking antidepressant , was compared with amitriptyline in a double-blind study . Patients were diagnosed as having major depression , according to DSM-III criteria , when interviewed with the Diagnostic Interview Schedule . There was significant improvement in patient and observer ratings of depression in both groups , with no difference between groups . Recent memory improved significantly in the fluoxetine group but not in the amitriptyline group . Numbers of patients reporting side-effects were similar but the profiles of side-effects were different , with more patients on amitriptyline reporting anticholinergic and intolerable side-effects
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 .