Journal Article

Pramipexole versus sertraline in the treatment of depression in Parkinson’s disease

Morgante, L., Zappia, M., Marconi, R., Bracco, F., Musch, B., Barone, P., Antonini, A., Scarzella, L.

2006

Overview

In addition to treating the motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease, the dopamine agonist pramipexole has shown an antidepressant effect. The trials, however, included patients with motor complications, raising the question of whether the antidepressant benefit represented only a treatment-related motor improvement. To address this issue, we have conducted a 14-week randomized trial comparing pramipexole with an established antidepressant in patients without motor complications. At seven Italian centers, 67 Parkinsonian outpatients with major depression but no history of motor fluctuations and/or dyskinesia received open-label pramipexole (at 1.5 to 4.5 mg/day) or sertraline (at 50 mg/day). In both groups, the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D) score decreased throughout 12 weeks of treatment, but in the pramipexole group the proportion of patients who recovered, as defined by a final HAM-D score

• Publisher: Springer,Springer Nature B.V
• Subject: Aged / Analysis of Variance / Antidepressive Agents - therapeutic use / Antiparkinson Agents - therapeutic use / Benzothiazoles - therapeutic use / Biological and medical sciences / Degenerative and inherited degenerative diseases of the nervous system. Leukodystrophies. Prion diseases / Depressive Disorder, Major - complications / Depressive Disorder, Major - drug therapy / Female / Headache. Facial pains. Syncopes. Epilepsia. Intracranial hypertension. Brain oedema. Cerebral palsy / Humans / Male / Medical sciences / Middle Aged / Nervous system (semeiology, syndromes) / Neurology / Parkinson Disease - complications / Parkinson Disease - drug therapy / Psychiatric Status Rating Scales - statistics & numerical data / Sertraline - therapeutic use / Single-Blind Method