Efficacy of escitalopram combined with quetiapine in the treatment of refractory depression

Objective To explore the efficacy and side effects of escitalopram combined with quetiapine in the treatment of refractory dpression.Methods A total of 70 patients with refractory dpression were randomly assigned to two group.One group was treated with escitalopram and the other with a combination of escitalopram and quetiapine for 6 weeks.The efficacy was measured with Hamilton Depression Scale(HAMD) and Hamilton Anxiety Scale(HAMA).The side effects were evaluated with the Treatment Emergent Symptom Scale(TESS).Results The reduction rates of HAMD and HAMA scores in study group were significantly higher than that in control group after treatment(P0.01).In the 1th,2th,4th and 6th weekend of treatment,the scores of HAMD and HAMA in study group were significantly lower than that in control group.Compared with control group,the study group had significantly higher effective rate(P0.05).Side effects in both groups were not serious,and there had no significantly differences between two groups.Conclusion A combination of escitalopram and quetiapine would have better efficacy,it is take into effect fastly with few side effects in the treatment of refractory depression.