Abstract
Objective
To compare the inclusion and exclusion criteria used in antidepressant efficacy trials
(AETs) published during the past 5 years with those used in studies published during
the previous 15 years.
Patients and Methods
We conducted a comprehensive literature review of placebo-controlled AETs published
from January 1995 through December 2014. We included trials whether or not the medication
has received regulatory approval for the treatment of depression. We compared the
inclusion and exclusion criteria of studies published during the past 5 years (2010-2014)
with those of studies published during the previous 15 years (1995-2009).
Results
We identified 170 placebo-controlled AETs published during the past 20 years, 56 of
which were published during the past 5 years. The more recent studies were significantly
more likely to exclude patients with comorbid Axis I disorders and personality disorders,
patients with the episode duration either too long or too short, and patients who
had made a suicide attempt in the past. The severity threshold on depression rating
scales required for inclusion was higher in the more recent studies.
Conclusion
The inclusion and exclusion criteria of AETs have become more stringent over the past
5 years, thereby suggesting that AETs may be even less generalizable than they were
previously (when concerns about their generalizability had already been raised).
Abbreviations and Acronyms:
AET (antidepressant efficacy trial), DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual), HAMD (Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression), MADRS (Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale), MDD (major depressive disorder)To read this article in full you will need to make a payment
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: August 12, 2015
Footnotes
For editorial comment, see page 1171
Identification
Copyright
© 2015 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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- Hard-Wired Bias: How Even Double-Blind, Randomized Controlled Trials Can Be Skewed From the StartMayo Clinic ProceedingsVol. 90Issue 9
- PreviewWell-designed, adequately powered randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are rightfully considered the highest form of evidence on which to base treatment and diagnostic decisions, minimizing potential biases, particularly confounding, that plague nonrandomized evidence.1-3 At the same time, simply using an RCT is not sufficient to ensure that conclusions are free from bias. In recent years, sponsors and trialists have incorporated subtle design choices into RCTs that have skewed the final trial results.
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