A control study of reboxetine vs citalopram in the treatment of senile depression

Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of reboxetine in treatment of first-onset of senile depressive disorder.Methods A randomized,single blind parallel clinical trial was performed in which 80 patients with first-onset of senile depressive disorder were assigned to receive reboxetine capsule 8 mg/d(start at 4mg/d,increasing to 8mg/d in a week) or citalopram tablet 40m/d(start at 20mg/d,increasing to 40mg/d in a week).The efficacy of both treatment groups was evaluated based on the Hamilton depression scale(HAMD),Hamilton anxiety scale(HAMA) and clinical general impression scale(CGI).The drug safety was evaluated based on laborator data and vital signs.Results Of the total 80 patients who met the inclusion criteria were assigned to receive reboxetine(trial group,n=38)or citalopram(control group,n=40).After treatment for 42 days,at the end of therapy,the scores of HAMD,HAMA and CGI in the two groups were significantly reduced compared with the baseline in both groups(P0.01).However,there was no significant difference between the two groups(P0.05).The effective rate in the trial group was 76.3%(HAMD score reduction rate≥50%)versus 77.5% in the control group.The P value showed no statistical difference between the two groups(P0.05).There were no statistical differences between the two groups in cure rate(HAMD and HAMA total scores≤8)(reboxetine group 57.9% vs citalopram 57.5%),CGI score and safety(symptoms and incidence of adverse drug reatctions).Conclusion Reboxetine,like citalopram,has been proved in efficacy and safety and less side effects in the treatment of first-onset of senile depressive disorder.It provides a new choice for treatment of senile depression