Hypericum & Depression

Study 3

Effectiveness and tolerance of hypericum extract LI 160 compared to Maprotiline: A multicenter double-blind study

Au:Harrer-G, Huebner-D, Podzuweit-H

So: J Geriatr Psychiatry Neurol 1994: 7(suppl 1): S24-28

Description

• 102 patients, aged 24-65 years, 29 males and 73 females, were given indistinguishable tablets of either hypericum extract LI 160 0.9 mg (standardized hypericin content) x 3 or Maprotiline 25 mg x 3 for 4 weeks in a randomized double-blind trial.
• Inclusion criteria were depression according to ICD-10 (F32.1) with a single moderately severe depressive episode for at least 2 weeks. The sum of the HAMD with 17 items had to be at least 16.

Results

HAMD score

• The mean HAMD fell from 20.5 to 12.2 in the hypericum group and from 21.5 to 10.5 in the Maprotiline group.
• There were no statistically significant differences between the groups.
• There was a slight difference in favor of Maprotiline after two weeks of treatment (39% decrease compared to 29% with hypericum) treatment, indicating faster effect. The difference diminished after 6 weeks and was no longer significant.
• 61% of the patients fulfilled the response criteria (50% HAMD reduction or HAMD<10) on hypericum and 67% on Maprotiline.

D-S score

• The mean D-S score fell from 26 to 16 on hypericum and from 25 to 14 on Maprotiline.

CGI score

• The CGI score for change in status and severity of illness showed a tendency towards better recovery in the hypericum group. Results are summarized figure 3.

Figure 3 CGI-score change in status

ADRs

Adverse drug effects (ADRs) occurred in 13 patients on hypericum (25%) and on 18 patients on Maprotiline (35%) (see Table 6).

There were no changes in laboratory parameters or clinical status, except for a slight rise in serum creatinine in one patient on Maprotiline (1.1 to 1.8 mg/dl).

Researchers' comments

This study agrees with previous studies comparing Maprotiline, known for its fast effect, and hypericum, known for its benign side-effect profile.

Copyright © 1996 by Harold H. Bloomfield, M.D. and Peter McWilliams