There were some beneficial effects compared to placebo or antidepressants but tolerability was worse .
Quetiapine was more effective than placebo treatment .
Aripiprazole and quetiapine and partly also olanzapine and risperidone augmentation showed beneficial effects compared to placebo .
Some evidence indicated beneficial effects of low-dose amisulpride for dysthymic people .
Most SGAs showed worse tolerability
BACKGROUND Major depressive disorder ( MDD ) is a common condition with a lifetime prevalence of 15 % to 18 % , which leads to considerable suffering and disability .
Some antipsychotics have been reported to induce remission in major depression , when added to an antidepressant .
OBJECTIVES To evaluate the effects of second-generation antipsychotic ( SGA ) drugs ( alone or augmentation ) compared with placebo or antidepressants for people with MDD or dysthymia .
Amisulpride versus Amineptine and Placebo for the Treatment of Dysthymia
Amisulpride , a selective antagonist for D2 and D3 dopamine receptors , acts preferentially on presynaptic receptors increasing dopaminergic transmission at low doses . In a multicentre , 3-month , placebo-controlled study , amisulpride ( 50 mg/day ) was compared to amineptine ( 200 mg/day ) in the treatment of primary dysthymia . A total of 323 patients were enrolled .  Amisulpride and amineptine were found to be statistically superior to placebo ( p < 0.0001 ) on the Clinical Global Impression ( item 2 ) : 63 , 64 and 33 % responders , respectively ; improvement of Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale and Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms scores following amisulpride or amineptine treatment was twice as high as with placebo ( p < 0.0001 ) . The adverse event profile of amisulpride was similar to that of placebo except for endocrine symptoms in female patients ; amineptine showed mainly events linked to psychic activation ( insomnia , nervousness ) . Results show that amisulpride can improve symptoms of chronic depression in dysthymia
There were some beneficial effects compared to placebo or antidepressants but tolerability was worse .
Quetiapine was more effective than placebo treatment .
Aripiprazole and quetiapine and partly also olanzapine and risperidone augmentation showed beneficial effects compared to placebo .
Some evidence indicated beneficial effects of low-dose amisulpride for dysthymic people .
Most SGAs showed worse tolerability
BACKGROUND Major depressive disorder ( MDD ) is a common condition with a lifetime prevalence of 15 % to 18 % , which leads to considerable suffering and disability .
Some antipsychotics have been reported to induce remission in major depression , when added to an antidepressant .
OBJECTIVES To evaluate the effects of second-generation antipsychotic ( SGA ) drugs ( alone or augmentation ) compared with placebo or antidepressants for people with MDD or dysthymia .