Amantadine versus methylphenidate in children and adolescents with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder: a randomized, double-blind trial

Background: The aim of the present study was to further evaluate, under double blind and controlled conditions, the efficacy of amantadine for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder [ADHD] in children and adolescents as compared to methylphenidate. Materials and methods: this was a 6-week randomized clinical trial. Forty patients [28 boys and 12 girls] with a DSM-IV-TR diagnosis of ADHD were the study population of this trial. All study subjects were randomly assigned to receive the treatment using capsule of amantadine at a dose of 100- 150 mg/day depending on weight [100 mg/day for <30 kg and 150 mg/day for >30 kg] or methylphenidate at a dose of 20-30 mg/day for a 6- week double blind, randomized clinical trial. The principal measure of outcome was the Teacher and Parent Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Rating Scale-IV. Results: No significant differences were observed between the two groups on the Parent and Teacher Rating Scale scores [df=1; F=0.02; p=0.86 and df=1; F=0.01; p=0.89, respectively]. Side effects of decreased appetite and restlessness were observed more frequently in the methylphenidate group. Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that amantadine significantly improved symptoms of ADHD and was well tolerated and it may be beneficial in the treatment of children with ADHD. Nevertheless, the present results do not constitute proof of efficacy

Herbal medicines in the treatment of depression and anxiety

Herbal medicines include a range of pharmacologically active compounds: in some cases it is not well understood which ingredients are important for a therapeutic effect. The supporters of herbal medicine believe that isolated ingredients in the majority of cases have weaker clinical effects than whole plant extract, a claim that would obviously require proof in each case. Although a multitude of pharmaceutical agents are available for the treatment of mental disorders, physicians find that many patients cannot tolerate the side effects, do not respond adequately, or eventually lose their response. In comparison, many therapeutic herbs have far fewer side effects. They can provide an alternative treatment or be used to enhance the effect of prescription medications. This review will indicate the quality of the evidence supporting the clinical effects of a number of commonly used types of herbal medicines for depression and anxiety

Petal and stigma of Crocus sativus L. in the treatment of depression: a pilot double-blind randomized trial

Stigmas of Crocus sativus L. [Iridaceae], commonly known as saffron, is the world's most expensive spice and apart from its traditional value as food additive recent studies indicate its potential as antidepressant. Because saffron is expensive, using it daily to address depression may not be practical. Moreover, recent study indicated antidepressant effect of petal of Crocus sativus. As petal of Crocus sativus is not expensive compared to stigma, there will be economical interests for further investigations by pharmaceutical industries. Our objective was to compare the efficacy of petal of Crocus sativus with stigma of Crocus sativus in the treatment of depressed outpatients in a 6-week pilot double-blind randomized trial. Forty four adult outpatients who met the DSM- IV criteria for major depression based on the structured clinical interview for DSM- IV participated in the trial. Patients have a baseline Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression score of at least 18. In this double-blind and randomized trial, patients were randomly assigned to receive capsule of petal of Crocus sativus 15 mg bid [morning and evening] [Group 1] and capsule of stigma of Crocus sativus 15 mg bid [morning and evening] [Group 2] for a 6-week study. At the end of trial, petal of Crocus sativus was found to be effective similar to stigma of Crocus sativus in the treatment of mild to moderate depression [d.f.=1, F= 0.05, P=0.81]. In addition, in the both treatments, the remission rate was 18%.There were no significant differences in the two groups in terms of observed side effects. The present study is supportive of other studies which show antidepressant effect of petal and stigma of Crocus sativus