No abstract available.
Hyperamylasemia* ; Sertraline*

OBJECT: This study was undertaken to know whether there is any therapeutic effecets of sertraline in treatment-resistant schizophrenics. METHOD: Seventy seven treatment-resistant schizophrenic patients, to whom the same antipsychotics as usual were administered, were randomly assigned to two groups; to the experimental group, sertraline was and to the controlled group, placebo was administered adjuntively for 6weeks in single blind design. We assessed psychopathology by BPRS, PANSS, YBOCS, HRSD, and SCL-90-R. RESULTS: BPRS, positive scale of PANSS, and HRSD were significantly decreased in experimental group and statistically siginificant differences between the experimental group and placebo group. Negative scale of PANSS and YBOCS were significantly decresed in experimental group but no statistically significant differences between the experimental group and placebo group. The therapeutic effect of sertraline was occurred within 3rd weeks. CONCLUSION: We suggested that sertraline may be useful in the treatment of schizophrenic symtom in treatment-resistent schizophrenia, especially in positive and depressive symptoms.
Antipsychotic Agents ; Depression ; Humans ; Psychopathology ; Schizophrenia ; Sertraline*

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical efficacy of adjuvant sertraline treatment in chronic schizophrenic patients, we carried out a double-blind, placebo controlled study. METHOD: Thirty six inpatients who fulfilled DSM-III-R criteria for chronic schizophrenia were randomly assigned to sertraline and placebo groups in a double-blinded fashion. A history of at least 2 years of illness and at least six months of hospitalization were prerequisities for inclusion in the study. Patients were received sertraline 50mg or placebo for 8 weeks in addition to their routine haloperidol regimen, Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale(PANSS), Clinical Global Impression(CGI), Simpson-Angus Scale(S-A) were evaluated at 5 points ; baseline, 2, 4, 6 and 8 weeks of treatment. RESULTS: The groups were controlled for age, gender, and length of illness. There were no significant differences in three PANSS factros(positive, negative, general), CGI and S-A scale scores at any between sertraline and placebo treatment. CONCLUSION: This placebo controlled study showed no significant effects of sertraline on negative and positive symptoms in chronic schizophrenic patients.
Haloperidol ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Inpatients ; Schizophrenia* ; Sertraline*

This study investigated the antidepressant efficacy and it's impact on the quality of life of depressed patients. We performed Hamilton Depression Rating Scale(HDRS), and Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale(MADRS), and Health-related Quality of Life Questionnaire(HQLQ) to both tricyclic antidepressant(TCA) and sertraline groups. There were 16 subjects in the study. The tricyclic group had 9 subjects and the sertraline group had 7. The TCA and sertraline produced a similar degree of response. Both groups experienced a reduction of 70% or more in mean HDRS and MADRS total score after 6wks. In HQLQ, the TCAs group also showed improved bed disability days, alertness behavior, and social interaction, the sertraline group showed improved health perception, alertness behavior, home management, and social interaction. We suggested that the improvement of "Quality of life" were not in proportion to the clinical symptom's improvement. Therefore, clinicians should consider the benefit of antidepressant treatment in terms of quality of life.
Depression ; Humans ; Interpersonal Relations ; Quality of Life* ; Sertraline

The study was designed to evaluate the effects of sertraline on l% sucrose intake and weight change in rats with chronic unpredictable mild stress and normal controls. We applied 11 types of stress regimens and identified depressive behaviours in 18 Spraque-Dawley rats for 8 weeks. After 4 weeks of chronic unpredictable mild stress procedure, those 18 rats were stratified into a sertraline-treated subgroup and a saline subgroup. Also nonstressed 18 rats were stratified into the sertraline-treated subgroup and the saline subgroup and were started intraperitoneal injections of sertraline(4.29mg/Kg) or saline for rest of 4 weeks. The 1% sucrose intake and the body weight were checked on the 4th day of every week, over the 8 weeks of experiment. The results were as follows: 1) The sertraline-treated subgroup of chronic unpredictable mild stressed rats showed significant increase of 1% sucrose intake between the 1st week and the 2nd, the 3rd and 4th week, while the sertraline-treated subgroup of non-stressed rats showed decreasing trend for 1% sucrose intake. 2) The sertraline-treated subgroup of chronic unpredictable mild-stressed rats showed a sustained decrease of body weight, while the sertraline-treated subgroup of non-stressed rats showed a non-significant increase of body weight. 3) In the group subjected to chronic unpredictable mild stress, there were no significant correlations between 1% sucrose intake and body weight and also no correlations in the nonstressed group. In summary, sertraline had an effect on restoring the decreased 1% sucrose intake to normal condition but no effect on regaining the body weight in the chronic unpredictable mild stresstreated rats. Sertraline resulted in a decrease of l% sucrose intake and no effect on body weight in the non-stressed rats.
Animals ; Body Weight* ; Injections, Intraperitoneal ; Rats* ; Sertraline* ; Sucrose*

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to investigate differences in discontinuation time among antidepressants and total antidepressant discontinuation rate of patients with depression over a 6 month period in a naturalistic treatment setting. METHODS: We reviewed the medical records of 900 patients with major depressive disorder who were initially prescribed only one kind of antidepressant. The prescribed antidepressants and the reasons for discontinuation were surveyed at baseline and every 4 weeks during the 24 week study. We investigated the discontinuation rate and the mean time to discontinuation among six antidepressants groups. RESULTS: Mean and median overall discontinuation times were 13.8 and 12 weeks, respectively. Sertraline and escitalopram had longer discontinuation times than that of fluoxetine, and patients who used sertraline discontinued use significantly later than those taking mirtazapine. No differences in discontinuation rate were observed after 24 weeks among these antidepressants. About 73% of patients discontinued antidepressant treatment after 24 weeks. CONCLUSION: Sertraline and escitalopram tended to have longer mean times to discontinuation, although no difference in discontinuation rate was detected between antidepressants after 24 weeks. About three-quarters of patients discontinued antidepressant maintenance therapy after 24 weeks.
Antidepressive Agents* ; Citalopram ; Depression ; Depressive Disorder, Major* ; Fluoxetine ; Humans ; Medical Records ; Sertraline

The knowledge of gene regulation of serotonin transporter mRNA may provide clues to understanding how antidepressants affect their therapeutic actions. Recently, the effects of antidepressants on the serotonin transporter have been investigated but yielded controversial results. To study this further, we performed in situ hybridization for serotonin transporter mRNA in rats(treatment group, n=5)receiving long term(14 days)treatment with a selective serotonin reuptake inhibiting antidepressant, sertraline(10mg/kg, i.p) Following sertraline treatment, a significant(p<0.05)ncrease in hybridization of serotonin transporter mRNA was observed compared to that observed in vehicle-treated rats(control group, n=5) This result may be interpreted as a compensatory mechanism to reduce synaptic levels of serotonin which were increased by long term sertraline treatment.
Animals ; Antidepressive Agents ; Brain* ; In Situ Hybridization ; Rats* ; RNA, Messenger* ; Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins* ; Serotonin* ; Sertraline*

OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of tianeptine and sertraline in the treatment of patients with depression. METHOD: The study was done on the patients with major depression diagnosed by DSM-IV, who had a Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression(HAM-D) score > OR =14 on the first 17 items of the HAM-D. A total of 40 patients were randomly assigned to tianeptine group and sertraline group. Tianeptine and sertraline were prescribed to each group. 6 weeks of each medication was carried out after 7 days of drug excretion period. Evaluation using 17 item HAM-D, Montgomery and {0c5}sberg Depression Rating Scale(MADRS), Clinical Global Impression Scale(CGI), and Covi Scale was done on the baseline and after 1 week, 2 weeks, 4 weeks, and 6 weeks. Regarding all side effects that had occurred during the period of our study such as their developed/disappeared time, severities, incidences, managements and results have been recorded. RESULTS: A total of 30 patients(tianeptine group 15;sertraline group 15) finished the 6 weeks of research. 37.5mg of the daily dose was regularly prescribed to the tianeptine group, the average amount of 64.0+/-22.5mg of the final daily dose was prescribed to the sertraline group. Total 17 item HAM-D scores, total points of MADRS and CGI showed significant decrease after 1 week in each treatment group and continous decrease after 2, 4 and 6 weeks;and no difference was found between tianeptine group and sertraline group in the antidepressant efficacy. Also there were no significant changes in vital sign, CBC, chemistry, and EKG in each treatment group. The common reported side effects of tianeptine were nausea(33.3%), epigastic distress(26.7%), dry mouth(20.0%), headache(13.3%) and those of sertraline were dry mouth(53.3%), headache(46.7%), nausea(33.3%), anorexia(33.3%). CONCLULSION: According to the results, tianeptine was effective in improvement of depressive symptoms and was well tolerated and safe in patients with depression.
Chemistry ; Depression* ; Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders ; Electrocardiography ; Humans ; Incidence ; Sertraline* ; Vital Signs

Galactorrhea, as an adverse effect of psychotropic medications, usually develops due to high dose of antipsychotics. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) have also been reported to be related to galactorrhea. To the best of our knowledge, no previous study reported galactorrhea with methylphenidate (MPH) use. Hereby, we report a case of an adolescent girl who developed galactorrhea after increasing his modifed-release oral MPH to 50 mg/day while under treatment of sertraline and very low dose haloperidol.
Adolescent* ; Antipsychotic Agents ; Female ; Galactorrhea* ; Haloperidol ; Humans ; Methylphenidate* ; Pregnancy ; Serotonin Uptake Inhibitors ; Sertraline

Neuroleptic malignant syndrome and serotonin syndrome share many common clinical features, and the term "Neurotoxic syndrome" can be used when a clear distinction cannot be made between the two. Here we present a case of 19-year-old man who experienced serotonin syndrome caused by sertraline intake, and consecutive neuroleptic malignant syndrome by risperidone. This case suggests that these two syndromes can be concomitantly induced in some patients who are susceptible to these drugs. Clinicians may have to pay close attention to this problem when prescribing drugs to patients who previously showed sensitivity to CNS-acting drugs.
Antipsychotic Agents ; Humans ; Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome ; Risperidone* ; Serotonin Syndrome ; Sertraline* ; Young Adult