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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2011 Oct;19(10):839-50.
doi: 10.1097/JGP.0b013e31820ee9ef.

Complementary use of tai chi chih augments escitalopram treatment of geriatric depression: a randomized controlled trial

Helen Lavretsky  1 , Lily L Alstein, Richard E Olmstead, Linda M Ercoli, Marquertie Riparetti-Brown, Natalie St Cyr, Michael R Irwin
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Complementary use of tai chi chih augments escitalopram treatment of geriatric depression: a randomized controlled trial

Helen Lavretsky et al. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2011 Oct.

Abstract

Background: Nearly two-thirds of elderly patients treated for depression fail to achieve symptomatic remission and functional recovery with first-line pharmacotherapy. In this study, we ask whether a mind-body exercise, Tai Chi Chih (TCC), added to escitalopram will augment the treatment of geriatric depression designed to achieve symptomatic remission and improvements in health functioning and cognitive performance.

Methods: : One hundred twelve older adults with major depression age 60 years and older were recruited and treated with escitalopram for approximately 4 weeks. Seventy-three partial responders to escitalopram continued to receive escitalopram daily and were randomly assigned to 10 weeks of adjunct use of either 1) TCC for 2 hours per week or 2) health education (HE) for 2 hours per week. All participants underwent evaluations of depression, anxiety, resilience, health-related quality of life, cognition, and inflammation at baseline and during 14-week follow-up.

Results: Subjects in the escitalopram and TCC condition were more likely to show greater reduction of depressive symptoms and to achieve a depression remission as compared with those receiving escitalopram and HE. Subjects in the escitalopram and TCC condition also showed significantly greater improvements in 36-Item Short Form Health Survey physical functioning and cognitive tests and a decline in the inflammatory marker, C-reactive protein, compared with the control group.

Conclusion: : Complementary use of a mind-body exercise, such as TCC, may provide additional improvements of clinical outcomes in the pharmacologic treatment of geriatric depression.

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Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Participant Flow and Distribution of Subjects in the Study
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Hamilton Depression Rating Scale Mean Score Over Time in the Two Treatment Group With Randomization Point at Week 6
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
The Mean SF-36 Physical Functioning Scores Over Time in the Two Treatment Groups
FIGURE 4
FIGURE 4
The Mean CVLT Long Delayed Recall (Cued) Scores Over Time in the Two Treatment Groups
FIGURE 5
FIGURE 5
Mean C-Reactive Protein Levels Over Time in the Two Treatment Groups
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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    1. Report of the 2005 White House Conference on Aging; 2005. http://www.whcoa.gov/
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    1. Charney DS, Nemeroff CB, Lewis L, et al. National Depressive and Manic-Depressive Association consensus statement on the use of placebo in clinical trials of mood disorders. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2002;59:262–270. - PubMed
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