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Abstract Background Relapse of major depressive disorder (MDD) is a common clinical problem. This study was designed to determine whether residual sleep disturbance (insomnia and hypersomnia) predict risk of relapse during the continuation and maintenance treatment of MDD. Methods A total of 570 patients with MDD were treated with open-label, flexible dose fluoxetine (range 20 to 60 mg; mean dose = 45.8 mg/day; SD = 15.1) for 12 weeks. Under double blind conditions, 262 patients who achieved clinical response were randomly assigned to continue fluoxetine or to switch to placebo for 52 weeks or until relapse. Residual sleep disturbance during the baseline visit of the double-blind phase was assessed using items 4, 5, 6 (insomnia) and 22, 23, 24 (hypersomnia) of the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS). Survival analysis was utilized to determine the effect of residual sleep disturbance on risk of relapse. Results The severities of early (P > 0.05), middle (P > 0.05), late (P > 0.05), or total (P > 0.05) residual insomnia were not found to significantly predict risk of relapse during continuation and maintenance-phase treatment. Similarly, the severities of early bedtime (P > 0.05), oversleeping (P > 0.05), napping (P > 0.05), or total (P > 0.05) residual hypersomnia were not found to significantly predict risk of relapse during continuation and maintenance-phase treatment. Conclusion The present study did not identify the severity of residual sleep disturbance among fluoxetine responders to predict risk of MDD relapse. The size of our sample may have precluded us from identifying more modest effects of residual sleep disturbance on the risk of relapse in MDD patients. Future studies are needed to further explore the relationship between residual sleep disturbance and relapse in MDD. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00427128

Objective: This pilot study evaluated the effects of Tai Chi training on sleep quality (primary outcomes), and depression and social functioning levels (secondary outcomes) among patients with depression. Participants: Sixteen depressed Chinese patients. Methods: Participants received 1-hr Tai Chi training sessions 2 times per week for 10 weeks. Patients’ subjective sleep quality ratings, objective sleep quality measurements, and depression and social functioning levels were measured before, during, and after the intervention. Results: Sleep quality and depression outcomes improved significantly. Patients reported improved Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) scores (9.6 ± 3.3 to 6.6 ± 5.2, p = 0.016), and cardiopulmonary coupling (CPC) analysis of electrocardiogram (ECG) showed decreased stable sleep onset latency (75.7 ± 100.6 to 20.9 ± 18.0, p = 0.014), increased stable sleep percentages (31.5 ± 18.7 to 46.3 ± 16.9, p = 0.016), and decreased unstable sleep percentages (45.3 ± 20.1 to 30.6 ± 16.5, p = 0.003). Patients also reported decreased Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D-17; 20.1 ± 3.7 to 7.8 ± 5.9, p < 0.001) and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) scores (22.3 ± 9.1 to 11.1 ± 10.6, p = 0.006). Significant correlations were found between the changes in subjective sleep assessments ΔPSQI and ΔHAM-D-17 (r = 0.6, p = 0.014), and ΔPSQI and ΔBDI (r = 0.62, p = 0.010). Correlations between changes in objective sleep measurements and changes in depression symptoms were low and not significant. Conclusions: Tai Chi training improved sleep quality and mood symptoms among depressed patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Relapse of major depressive disorder (MDD) is a common clinical problem. Identifying relapse predictors could lead to strategies that reduce relapse risk. This study is designed to determine whether residual symptoms predict relapse risk during the continuation/maintenance treatment of MDD. 570 MDD patients received open-label fluoxetine for 12 weeks. Under double blind conditions, 262 patients who responded by week 12 were randomly assigned to continue fluoxetine or switch to placebo for 52 weeks or until relapse. Residual symptoms were measured using the Symptom Checklist-90 and the Symptom Questionnaire. The relationship between residual symptom severity and relapse risk was assessed. Without adjusting for overall residual symptom severity, a greater severity of residual obsessive-compulsive and phobic anxiety symptoms predicted greater relapse risk. After adjusting for overall residual symptom severity, only severity of phobic anxiety symptoms predicted relapse risk. The predictive value of phobic anxiety symptoms with respect to relapse risk was independent of treatment assignment. The results indicated that there may be a specific pattern of residual symptoms associated with depressive relapse during antidepressant continuation/maintenance, which is unrelated to treatment assignment. Future studies are needed to further explore the relationship between residual symptoms and relapse risk in MDD. Clinical implications: (1) It is important to treat residual symptoms among antidepressant responders/remitters in order to decrease relapse risk. (2) Clinicians should target residual phobic anxiety symptoms in order to decrease relapse risk. (3) Clinicians should target residual obsessive-compulsive symptoms in order to decrease relapse risk. Limitations: (1) limited generalizability due to inclusion/exclusion criteria; (2) lack of active comparator treatment group; (3) post hoc analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Relapse of major depressive disorder (MDD) is a common clinical problem. This study was designed to determine whether residual sleep disturbance (insomnia and hypersomnia) predict risk of relapse during the continuation and maintenance treatment of MDD. Methods: A total of 570 patients with MDD were treated with open-label, flexible dose fluoxetine (range 20 to 60 mg; mean dose = 45.8 mg/day; SD = 15.1) for 12 weeks. Under double blind conditions, 262 patients who achieved clinical response were randomly assigned to continue fluoxetine or to switch to placebo for 52 weeks or until relapse. Residual sleep disturbance during the baseline visit of the double-blind phase was assessed using items 4, 5, 6 (insomnia) and 22, 23, 24 (hypersomnia) of the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS). Survival analysis was utilized to determine the effect of residual sleep disturbance on risk of relapse. Results: The severities of early (P > 0.05), middle (P > 0.05), late (P > 0.05), or total (P > 0.05) residual insomnia were not found to significantly predict risk of relapse during continuation and maintenance-phase treatment. Similarly, the severities of early bedtime (P > 0.05), oversleeping (P > 0.05), napping (P > 0.05), or total (P > 0.05) residual hypersomnia were not found to significantly predict risk of relapse during continuation and maintenance-phase treatment. Conclusion: The present study did not identify the severity of residual sleep disturbance among fluoxetine responders to predict risk of MDD relapse. The size of our sample may have precluded us from identifying more modest effects of residual sleep disturbance on the risk of relapse in MDD patients. Future studies are needed to further explore the relationship between residual sleep disturbance and relapse in MDD. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00427128 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Given the proposed dopaminergic mechanism of low-dose naltrexone (LDN), we examined its efficacy as augmentation for depressive breakthrough on pro-dopaminergic antidepressant regimens.Methods: 12 adults (67% female, mean age = 45±12) with recurrent DSM-IV major depressive disorder (MDD) on dopaminergic antidepressant regimens (stimulants, dopamine agonists, bupropion [≥300mg/day], aripiprazole [≤2.5mg/day], or sertraline [≥150mg/day]) were randomized to naltrexone 1mg b.i.d. (n=6) or placebo (n=6) augmentation for 3 weeks.Results: All subjects completed the trial. Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D-17) scores (primary outcome measure) decreased from 21.2±2.0 to 11.7±7.7 for LDN, from 23.7±2.3 to 17.8±5.9 for placebo (Cohen's d=0.62; p=0.3 between treatment groups). HAM-D-28 scores decreased from 26.2±4.0 to 12.0±9.8 for LDN, from 26.3±2.6 to 19.8±6.6 for placebo (d=1.15; p=0.097). Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS-10 item) scores decreased from 30.4±4.9 to 12.2±8.4 for LDN, from 30.7±4.3 to 22.8±8.5) for placebo (d=1.45; p=0.035). MADRS-15 item scores decreased from 36.6±6.2 to 13.2±8.8 for LDN, from 36.7±4.2 to 26.0±10.0 for placebo (d=1.49; p=0.035). Clinical Global Improvement Scale-Severity (CGI-S) scores decreased from 4.3±0.5 to 3.0±1.1 for LDN, from 4.3±0.5 to 4.0±0.6 for placebo (d=1.22; p=0.064).Limitations: Small study; restrictions on allowed antidepressants.Conclusion: LDN augmentation showed some benefit for MDD relapse on dopaminergic agents. Confirmation in larger studies is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]