Oral Scopolamine Augmentation in Moderate to Severe Major Depressive Disorder

Nov 14, 2012The Journal of clinical psychiatry

Adding oral scopolamine to treatment in moderate to severe major depression: a controlled clinical trial

AI simplified

Circadian Biology on OpenScience ↗PubMed ↗DOI ↗

Abstract

Augmentation with oral scopolamine resulted in a 65% response rate and a 65% remission rate at weeks 4 and 6, respectively.

Scopolamine was compared to a placebo in patients with major depressive disorder receiving citalopram.
Patients receiving scopolamine had a significantly greater reduction in depression scores than those on placebo.
Response was defined as a ≥ 50% decrease in depression scores, while remission was defined as a score ≤ 7.
Higher rates of side effects, such as dry mouth, blurred vision, and dizziness, were reported in the scopolamine group.

AI simplified

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the antidepressant effect of oral scopolamine as an adjunct to citalopram.

METHOD: In this randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study, patients were assessed in the outpatient clinics of 2 large hospitals from November 2011 to January 2012. Forty patients (18-55 years) with major depressive disorder (DSM-IV-TR criteria) and 17-Item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) score ≥ 22 were randomly assigned to scopolamine hydrobromide (1 mg/d) (n = 20) or placebo (n = 20) in addition to citalopram for 6 weeks. HDRS score was measured at baseline and days 4, 7, 14, 28, and 42. The primary outcome measure was HDRS score change from baseline to week 6 in the scopolamine group versus the placebo group. Response was defined as ≥ 50% decrease in HDRS score; remission, as HDRS score ≤ 7.

RESULTS: Augmentation with scopolamine was significantly more effective than placebo (F(1,38) = 5.831, P = .021). Patients receiving scopolamine showed higher rates of response (65%, 13/20 at week 4) and remission (65%, 13/20 at week 6) than the placebo group (30%, 6/20 and 20%, 4/20, respectively; P = .027, P = .004, respectively). Patients in the scopolamine group showed higher rates of dry mouth, blurred vision, and dizziness than the placebo group.

CONCLUSIONS: Oral scopolamine is a safe and effective adjunct for treatment of patients with moderate to severe major depressive disorder.

TRIAL REGISTRATION: Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials identifier: IRCT201201181556N31.

Oral Scopolamine Augmentation in Moderate to Severe Major Depressive Disorder

Abstract

You found one interesting study. We’ll send the next 7.

what lands in your inbox each week:

Recent issues from the circadian biology brief