Antidepressant Treatment of Melancholia in Late Life
Depression, Melancholia
About this trial
This is an interventional treatment trial for Depression focused on measuring Aged, Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic, Depression, Female, Human, Male, Middle Age, Nortriptyline, Sertraline, Serotonin Uptake Inhibitors, Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic -- *therapeutic use, Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic -- adverse effects, Depression -- *drug therapy, Nortriptyline -- *therapeutic use, Nortriptyline -- adverse effects, Sertraline -- *therapeutic use, Sertraline -- adverse effects, Serotonin Uptake Inhibitors -- *therapeutic use, Serotonin Uptake Inhibitors -- adverse effects
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria: - Patients must have: Unipolar major depression (per Diagnostic and Statistical Manuel-IV criteria) with or without melancholia. Exclusion Criteria: - Patients with the following symptoms or conditions are excluded: Psychotic or atypical subtype of unipolar major depression.
Sites / Locations
- 1051 Riverside Drive
Arms of the Study
Arm 1
Arm 2
Active Comparator
Active Comparator
sertaline
nortriptyline
patients randomized to sertraline 12 week trial does up to 200mgs
patients randomized to nortriptyline dose adjusted to therapeutic level