ABSTRACT
Five psychiatric hospitals in Norway took part in this double blind clinical trial, in which noxiptilin (Agedal) was compared with amitriptyline in hospitalized patients with primary depressive illness. According to total randomization, each patient received either noxiptilin or amitriptyline in semiflexible dosage, usually to a maximum dialy dose of 200-250 mg, for at least three, and possibly six weeks. Thirty patients received noxiptilin and 32 received amitriptyline for at least three weeks. The "total" improvement was assessed in two different ways: 1) By direct global assessment; according to this method, there was a non-significant tendency towards greater improvement on amitriptyline after three and sex weeks, in female and male patients alike. 2) By percentage reduction in total score on Hamilton's rating scale for depression; according to this method, there was a significantly greater improvement on noxiptilin after one week in female but not in male patients. After 2, 3 and 6 weeks there were no significant differences. Thus, this trial seems to support earlier claims that noxiptilin has a faster onset of action than amitriptyline. The two drugs did not differ significantly in their effect on any single symptom, nor in their effect on different types of depression. Both drugs had a better effect in patients with duration of present illness less than three months, than in patients with a duration longer than three months. Noxiptilin had a significantly better effect than amitriptyline in patients with insidious onset of present illness, whereas there was a strong (but non-significant) tendency for a better effect of amitriptyline in patients with a more acute onset of illness. No satisfactory explanation can be offered for this unexpected finding.
