Kim HJ, Han DH, Choi KT, Hwang HC, Min KJ, Kim SM. Efficacy of aripiprazole as adjunctive therapy in major depressive disorder with somatic symptoms: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial with clinical and electroencephalography evidence.
J Psychopharmacol 2022;
37:289-302. [PMID:
36239033 DOI:
10.1177/02698811221127294]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Somatic symptoms, which are common in major depressive disorder (MDD), are associated with a worse prognosis and increased health costs.
AIMS
This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study evaluated the efficacy of aripiprazole augmentation in MDD patients with somatic symptoms.
METHODS
In all, 41 MDD patients with somatic symptoms completed the study. Participants who had been on a stable dose of antidepressants for at least 1 month were randomly assigned to receive an 8-week adjunctive treatment with either aripiprazole or placebo. The initiation dose of aripiprazole was 2 mg/day, which was later adjusted to 1-10 mg/day. The primary endpoint was the change in the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised-Somatization (SCL-90-R-SOM) score. We collected quantitative electroencephalogram data and performed spectral analyses to obtain the absolute power of frequency bands.
RESULTS/OUTCOMES
The aripiprazole group (n = 20; 2.98 ± 1.75 mg/day) showed a significant improvement in SCL-90-R-SOM scores compared to the placebo group (n = 21; F = 8.56, p = 0.006), without significant differences in changes in depression and anxiety symptoms. Compared to the control, the aripiprazole group showed a greater decrease in total alpha power (F = 7.03, p = 0.01). Changes in frontal alpha power were positively correlated with changes in SCL-90-R-SOM scores in the aripiprazole group (r = 0.53, p = 0.014).
CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION
Aripiprazole adjunctive to antidepressants in patients with MDD and somatic symptoms improved somatic symptom severity without significant safety concerns, and this improvement correlated with a decrease in total and frontal alpha power.Trial Registration: https://cris.nih.go.kr; identifier: KCT0004607.
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