Short-term antidepressant treatment of comorbid dental anxiety in patients with panic disorder

Objectives. The aims of this study were to determine the frequency of dental anxiety (DA) and dental phobia (DP) in panic disorder, and to follow the changes in DA levels during antidepressant treatment of panic disorder. Methods. Fifty-three controls and 102 panic disorder patients were assessed using the Structured Clinical Interview (SCID), the Panic-Agoraphobia Scale (PAS), and the Corah Dental Anxiety Scale (DAS). Oral health status was defined by the number of decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT) index. The patients were classified into three groups: (1) those without dental anxiety (WDA), (2) those with dental anxiety (DA), and (3) those with dental phobia (DP). All patients were treated with antidepressants for 3 months and the response rates were assessed. Results. At baseline, DAS was significantly higher in both the DA and the DP groups than in the control group. Ten (9.8%) of the panic disorder patients fulfilled the diagnostic criteria for DP; 31 (30.4%) had severe DA. In the control group, none of the patients was diagnosed as DP, whereas 7 (13.5%) had severe DA. Panic disorder and DA both responded to the antidepressant treatment, but DAS scores remained significantly higher in the DP group than in the DA group and the control group at the end of the third month. Conclusions. Our data suggest that both DA and DP are more frequent in panic disorder than in healthy controls. Antidepressant treatment may have been helpful in decreasing DA levels in the DA group but not in the DP group.     

Gender difference in antidepressant-related sexual dysfunction in Taiwan

Objective

Sexual dysfunction accompanied by depression may be altered by antidepressants. The effects of antidepressants on sexual dysfunction among males and females remain to be investigated.

Methods

Three groups of subjects, drug-free patients with depression (N= 125), medicated patients with depression (N= 145) and healthy volunteers (N= 255), were recruited. A Chinese version of the Changes in Sexual Functioning Questionnaire was employed to assess sexual function as the primary outcome.

Results

Drug-free depressed females and medicated depressed males had more sexual dysfunction than healthy controls. The desire for sexual behaviors among healthy females and medicated depressed females was higher than that of drug-free depressed females.

Conclusion

Depression and antidepressants may have different impacts on the sexual function of males and females.     

Associations of depression diagnosis and antidepressant treatment with mortality among young and disabled Medicare beneficiaries with COPD

Objective

Depression is prevalent in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients and a risk factor for COPD exacerbation and death. The objective of this study was to determine the associations of depression diagnosis and antidepressant treatment with mortality among Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI)-eligible (age < 65 years who had permanent physical or mental disabilities) Medicare beneficiaries with COPD.

Method

This retrospective cohort study used a 5% random sample of SSDI-eligible Medicare beneficiaries with COPD in stand-alone Part D plans during 2006–2008 (n= 17,320). COPD and depression diagnoses were assessed during 2006. Evidence of antidepressant treatment was measured in 2006–2008. All-cause mortality was measured in 2007–2008. Cox proportional hazards models were used to examine the associations of depression diagnosis with mortality and, among depressed beneficiaries, antidepressant treatment (time dependent) with mortality after controlling for covariates.

Results

More than one third (37.3%) of SSDI-eligible beneficiaries with COPD had a baseline depression diagnosis; of those, 86.8% had evidence of antidepressant treatment. Baseline depression diagnosis was an independent risk factor for 2-year mortality [hazard ratio (HR)=1.21; 99% confidence interval (CI)=1.07–1.37]. Among depressed beneficiaries, receiving antidepressant treatment was associated with significantly lower mortality (HR=0.55; 99% CI=0.44–0.68).

Conclusion

Proactive antidepressant treatment should be considered as an intervention to reduce mortality for this young and disabled Medicare population.     

Association between antidepressant side effects and functional impairment in patients with major depressive disorders

Patients with depression may not well be aware of antidepressant adverse events (AEs); however, no studies have assessed how these AEs affect their daily function. Therefore, to evaluate the relationship between the quality of AEs and functional impairment, we studied 482 outpatients with depressive disorders who were not receiving any antidepressant treatment prior to the baseline visit and started it thereafter in usual clinical settings. The Quick Inventory for Depressive Symptomatology Self-Report Japanese version and antidepressant AEs for subjective assessment (antiAS) were performed at baseline and 10 days after antidepressant initiation (i.e. second visit). Functional impairment was evaluated with the Sheehan Disability Scale (SDS) on the second visit. As a result, the SDS was positively associated with the number of AEs (β=0.089, p=0.022) in multiple linear regression analysis (adjusted R²=0.357, p<0.001). Subjects who experienced vertigo, nausea and insomnia had significantly more functional impairment than those who did not. Additionally, the number of severe AEs (β=0.151, p<0.001) was associated with a higher SDS score, and those AEs with a negative causal attribution to antidepressants in the antiAS significantly affected the SDS (β=0.105, p=0.008). AEs of antidepressants should be carefully monitored since they could negatively affect their daily function.     

我院门诊抗抑郁药处方分析

目的：研究我院抗抑郁药的应用情况。方法：选取我院门诊2012年7．9月1080张诊断为抑郁症的处方进行分析。结果：1080例患者中,男425例（39．35％）,女655例（60．65％）,女性多于男性。各类抗抑郁药中,以选择性5．羟色胺再摄取抑制剂（SSRI）使用频率最高。各种抗抑郁药的平均使用剂量均在安全范围之内。697例（64．54％）患者联用苯二氮萆类药物治疗,476例（44．07％）患者联用抗精神病药,233例（21．57％）患者联用心境稳定剂。结论：以SSRI为主的新型抗抑郁药已经成为我院临床抗抑郁治疗的主流药物,抗抑郁药的使用以单一用药为主。     

曲美布汀及双歧三联活菌联合抗焦虑抑郁药治疗难治性腹泻型肠易激综合征的疗效观察

目的:观察曲美布汀及双歧三联活菌联合抗焦虑抑郁药氟哌噻吨美利曲辛片治疗伴有焦虑和(或)抑郁的难治性腹泻型肠易激综合征(RIBS-D)的临床疗效。方法:101例伴有焦虑和(或)抑郁的RIBS-D患者随机分为试验组(52例)与对照组(49例),两组均给予曲美布汀及双歧三联活菌,试验组加服氟哌噻吨美利曲辛片,对照组加服安慰剂,疗程4周。观察治疗前后两组患者症状严重程度、精神状态、生活质量的变化及药品不良反应。结果:试验组与对照组的总有效率分别为86.54%、12.24%(P<0.01);试验组焦虑及抑郁积分较对照组显著降低,生活质量积分较对照组显著升高,两者差异均有统计学意义(P<0.01);治疗过程中未发生严重不良事件。结论:曲美布汀及双歧三联活菌联合抗焦虑抑郁药氟哌噻吨美利曲辛片治疗伴有焦虑和(或)抑郁的RIBS-D患者,能明显改善其症状、焦虑抑郁状态及生活质量,且十分安全。     

四种新型抗抑郁药治疗抑郁症的成本-效果评价

目的评价4种新型抗抑郁药物治疗抑郁症的成本-效果。方法将104例符合抑郁症首次发病的患者随机分为4组,分别给予度洛西汀胶囊、文拉法辛缓释胶囊、米氮平片、艾司西酞普兰片。疗效采用17项汉密尔顿抑郁量表（HAMD17）。运用成本-效果法进行分析。结果 4组有效率分别为73.08%、69.23%、69.23%、73.08%（P〉0.05）,成本分别为768.6元、562.8元、751.2元、751.8元,痊愈的成本-效果比为13.32、11.26、12.36、13.97;有效性的成本-效果比为10.51、8.13、8.25、10.28。结论文拉法辛缓释胶囊组治疗抑郁症成本-效果比更优。