Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2009 Jul-Aug;50(4):402-12.
doi: 10.1176/appi.psy.50.4.402.

Duloxetine for the treatment of recurrent major depressive disorder in elderly patients: treatment outcomes in patients with comorbid arthritis

Madelaine M Wohlreich  1 , Mark D Sullivan, Craig H Mallinckrodt, Amy S Chappell, Tina M Oakes, John G Watkin, Joel Raskin
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Duloxetine for the treatment of recurrent major depressive disorder in elderly patients: treatment outcomes in patients with comorbid arthritis

Madelaine M Wohlreich et al. Psychosomatics. 2009 Jul-Aug.

Abstract

Background: Evaluation and treatment of major depression (MDD) in elderly patients is frequently complicated by the presence of comorbid medical conditions, which can reduce the effect of depression treatment, leading to lower rates of depressive-symptom improvement and higher rates of relapse.

Objective: The authors investigated results of antidepressant concurrent with arthritis pain treatment in elderly patients.

Method: Patients age 65 and over with recurrent MDD were stratified by arthritis status and randomized to duloxetine (a dual reuptake-inhibitor of serotonin and norepinephrine) or placebo treatment for 8 weeks (duloxetine, N=117; placebo, N=55).

Results: Duloxetine significantly reduced MDD symptom severity in elderly patients with and without arthritis, and produced significant reduction in several pain measures in those patients with comorbid arthritis.

Discussion: The magnitude and time-course of depressive symptom improvement did not differ significantly between patients with and without arthritis. Some studies have suggested that the severity of pain in arthritis patients may be linked to depression severity.

PubMed Disclaimer

Publication types