Double-blind multicenter study of paroxetine and amitriptyline in depressed inpatients

Paroxetine is a new compound in the group of the selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors. The results of several open and double-blind control-group studies demonstrate clear antidepressive efficacy of paroxetine. However, most data were collected in samples of outpatients. To overcome this restriction, a six-week double-blind control-group study, comparing 30 mg paroxetine with 150 mg amitriptyline per day, was performed in a sample of inpatients suffering from major depression. Generally speaking, the efficacy analysis of 160 patients was not able to demonstrate statistically significant differences in the antidepressive activity of paroxetine or amitriptyline, either with respect to the total score on the Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD) and the Clinical Global Impressions or with respect to the subscores of the HAMD. One exception was the retardation subscore, in which amitriptyline showed a greater degree of reduction. Both drugs had a characteristic side-effect profile. Paroxetine was characterized by a lack of anticholinergic side-effects and a higher rate of nausea.

[Effect of stimulus frequency on the latency of acoustically evoked brain stem potentials in children]

Acoustically evoked brain stem potentials (HSP) are employed as an additional neurological investigation in child patients. A standardisation of the conditions of derivation would be desirable for the application of the method. In a pilot study, the influence of the excitation frequency on the latency of the HSP of 25 organically and neurologically healthy children was studied. Results show that absolute latencies are prolonged by increase of stimulus frequency, with the peripheral, cochleo-encephalic, and central traveling times remaining virtually unaffected.

[Family-groups in a children-psychiatric-hospital (author's transl)]

The author presents a report of a kind of care for children, suffering from behavior disorders, which consists in structure of a large-family. The first experiences show, that children suffering from minimal brain dysfunction and secondary manifestation of deprivation better grow up in family-groups than in groups of children of the same age.