Source: Cancer  |  Posted 9 years ago

Milnacipran, a serotonin and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor (SNRI), may be effective in treating post-stroke depression.

Japanese researchers from Nippon Medical School and Matsue Hospital in Tokyo and Imai Hospital in Akita evaluated SNRI efficacy and safety in 12 patients with post-stroke depression.

Other studies have assessed the use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and tricyclics as treatment for post-stroke depression, but the researchers say this is the first to look at the effects of a SNRI.

Two men and 10 women, aged 53 to 88 years, participated in the six-week open trial. All had been diagnosed with major or minor depressive disorder, onset was subsequent to a cerebral infarction or haemorrhage.

Severity of depression was assessed using the 21-item Hamilton rating scale for depression (HAM-D).

The researchers report that the maximum daily dose of milnacipran was in the range of 30 milligrams to 75 mg twice a day.

Three patients experienced side effects although none were serious. Two patients dropped out.

By the end of six weeks, seven of the 12 patients (58.3 percent) and seven of the 10 completing the study (70 percent) were in remission as defined remission by a final HAM-D score of less than seven and by no longer meeting criteria for major or minor depression.