ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Aripiprazole may be an effective adjunctive treatment in outpatients with unipolar depression that has been refractory to treatment with SSRI or SNRI medication. METHODS: Fifteen subjects with a current DSM-IV diagnosis of MDD which had not responded to SSRI or SNRI treatment were enrolled in a 12 week open-label study of aripiprazole with a maximum dose of 30 mg/day. Patients' current episode averaged 10.4+/-16.6 years, with a range of 3 months to 54 years. Baseline severity averaged 30.1+/-7.1 on HDRS-24, and 19.7+/-8.4 on BDI. Patients had been treated with a mean dose of 79.2+/-28.2 mg/day of fluoxetine equivalents for an average of 1 year prior to starting the study. Five subjects were on SNRI medications and 10 on SSRIs. RESULTS: Seven of 14 (50.0%) subjects were classified as treatment responders, as defined by at least 50% reduction in the HDRS-24 at week 12. Four subjects (28.6%) achieved remission, based on STAR D criteria (HDRS-17 scoreSubject(s)
Antipsychotic Agents/therapeutic use
, Depressive Disorder/drug therapy
, Piperazines/therapeutic use
, Quinolones/therapeutic use
, Adolescent
, Adult
, Aged
, Aripiprazole
, Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale
, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
, Drug Administration Schedule
, Drug Evaluation
, Female
, Humans
, Male
, Middle Aged
, Prospective Studies
, Social Behavior
, Time Factors
, Treatment Outcome
