scholarly journals Meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials of fluoxetine v. placebo and tricyclic antidepressants in the short-term treatment of major depression

2000 ◽  
Vol 176 (5) ◽  
pp. 421-428 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Bech ◽  
P. Cialdella ◽  
M. C. Haugh ◽  
M. A. Birkett ◽  
A. Hours ◽  
...  

BackgroundPrevious meta-analyses of fluoxetine as an antidepressant have many methodological problems, including diagnosis of major depression, validity of outcome measures and lack of intention-to-treat analyses.AimsTo provide an estimate of the effect of fluoxetine compared with placebo and tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), and to investigate reasons for early discontinuation from acute treatment.MethodRandomised trials were analysed using both intention-to-treat, efficacy and end-point.ResultsFluoxetine was superior to placebo but effect size was low. In trials comparing fluoxetine v. TCA, the results for all trials and for the USA trials showed a trend in favour of fluoxetine. Those for the non-USA trials showed a trend in favour of TCA. When combined, the results showed that significantly fewer patients on fluoxetine discontinued treatment because of adverse events.ConclusionFluoxetine is superior to placebo, irrespective of the analytical approach use, whereas the results obtained v. TCAs depend on the approach used. Hence, the results should be interpreted in this light.

2021 ◽  
pp. 026988112199182
Author(s):  
Danilo Arnone ◽  
Hassan Galadari ◽  
Carl J Rodgers ◽  
Linda Östlundh ◽  
Karim Abdel Aziz ◽  
...  

Background: OnabotulinumtoxinA is a novel therapeutic intervention whose mechanism of action is believed to modify the negative facial feedback, thus abating symptoms of depression. This putative new antidepressant agent offers minimal systemic side effects and negligible risk of pharmacological interactions. We set out to examine the evidence for the use of onabotulinumtoxinA in major depression. Methods: A systematic search of the literature identified double-blind randomised controlled trials (RCTs) investigating the use of onabotulinumtoxinA in the treatment of major depression versus placebo. Data, reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA), was combined in meta-analyses (PROSPERO registration ID: CRD42020183538). Results: The search identified five RCTs (four double-blind) comparing onabotulinumtoxinA to placebo. OnabotulinumtoxinA was more effective than placebo when administered within the 20–40 IU dose range in double-blind RCTs. The analysis was free of publication bias and significantly heterogeneous. Meta-regression analyses indicated that onabotulinumtoxinA was more efficacious in women and in higher doses in female patients and less effective with polypharmacy, especially when an increasing number of antidepressants were prescribed. The effectiveness of onabotulinumtoxinA was higher in more recently published double-blind RCTs. Conclusion: The meta-analysis supports the efficacy of the intervention with the results being highly heterogeneous across studies. In view of the heterogeneity of the findings and the significant moderators of benefit (sex, year of study completion and the interaction between sex and dose), more research is required to better understand the role of onabotulinumtoxinA in the treatment of depression.


1997 ◽  
Vol 170 (2) ◽  
pp. 120-127 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew Hotopf ◽  
Rebecca Hardy ◽  
Glyn Lewis

BackgroundPrevious meta-analyses suggest that individuals treated with serotonin-specific reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) in randomised controlled trials (RCTs) are less likely to discontinue treatment than those on tricyclic antidepressants. This metaanalysis investigates whether this is due to the frequent use in RCTs of older reference tricyclics (imipramine and amitriptyline), which may have worse side-effects than more recent compounds.MethodsA meta-analysis of RCTs comparing tricyclic and heterocyclic antidepressants with SSRIs in the treatment of depression.ResultsThe overall odds ratio of discontinuation on tricyclic/heterocyclic antidepressants compared with SSRIs was 0.86 (95% CI 0.78–0.94). The odds ratio for reference tricyclics was 0.82 95% CI 0.72–0.23), newer tricyclics 0.89 (95% CI 0.74–1.06), and heterocyclics 1.02 (95% CI 0.78–1.35). The pooled advantage of SSRIs over tricyclics was maintained whether the population studied consisted of younger adults or only the elderly. No differences in discontinuation rates were detected between the SSRIs.ConclusionsThe lower rate of discontinuation in patients on SSRIs may be due to the use of old tricyclics (which have worse side-effects) as reference compounds. The SSRIs do not show a statistically significant difference in discontinuation rates when compared with newer tricyclics or heterocyclics.


2013 ◽  
Vol 203 (3) ◽  
pp. 179-187 ◽  
Author(s):  
Markus Koesters ◽  
Giuseppe Guaiana ◽  
Andrea Cipriani ◽  
Thomas Becker ◽  
Corrado Barbui

BackgroundAgomelatine is a novel antidepressant drug with narrative, non-systematic reviews making claims of efficacy.AimsThe present study systematically reviewed published and unpublished evidence of the acute and long-term efficacy and acceptability of agomelatine compared with placebo in the treatment of major depression.MethodRandomised controlled trials comparing agomelatine with placebo in the treatment of unipolar major depression were systematically reviewed. Primary outcomes were (a) Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD) score at the end of treatment (short-term studies) and (b) number of relapses (long-term studies).ResultsMeta-analyses included 10 acute-phase and 3 relapse prevention studies. Seven of the included studies were unpublished. Acute treatment with agomelatine was associated with a statistically significant superiority over placebo of −1.51 HRSD points (99% Cl −2.29 to −0.73, nine studies). Data extracted from three relapse prevention studies failed to show significant effects of agomelatine over placebo (relative risk 0.78, 99% Cl 0.41−1.48). Secondary efficacy analyses showed a significant advantage of agomelatine over placebo in terms of response (with no effect for remission). None of the negative trials were published and conflicting results between published and unpublished studies were observed.ConclusionsWe found evidence suggesting that a clinically important difference between agomelatine and placebo in patients with unipolar major depression is unlikely. There was evidence of substantial publication bias.


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. e001129
Author(s):  
Bill Stevenson ◽  
Wubshet Tesfaye ◽  
Julia Christenson ◽  
Cynthia Mathew ◽  
Solomon Abrha ◽  
...  

BackgroundHead lice infestation is a major public health problem around the globe. Its treatment is challenging due to product failures resulting from rapidly emerging resistance to existing treatments, incorrect treatment applications and misdiagnosis. Various head lice treatments with different mechanism of action have been developed and explored over the years, with limited report on systematic assessments of their efficacy and safety. This work aims to present a robust evidence summarising the interventions used in head lice.MethodThis is a systematic review and network meta-analysis which will be reported in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses statement for network meta-analyses. Selected databases, including PubMed, Embase, MEDLINE, Web of Science, CINAHL and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials will be systematically searched for randomised controlled trials exploring head lice treatments. Searches will be limited to trials published in English from database inception till 2021. Grey literature will be identified through Open Grey, AHRQ, Grey Literature Report, Grey Matters, ClinicalTrials.gov, WHO International Clinical Trials Registry and International Standard Randomised Controlled Trials Number registry. Additional studies will be sought from reference lists of included studies. Study screening, selection, data extraction and assessment of methodological quality will be undertaken by two independent reviewers, with disagreements resolved via a third reviewer. The primary outcome measure is the relative risk of cure at 7 and 14 days postinitial treatment. Secondary outcome measures may include adverse drug events, ovicidal activity, treatment compliance and acceptability, and reinfestation. Information from direct and indirect evidence will be used to generate the effect sizes (relative risk) to compare the efficacy and safety of individual head lice treatments against a common comparator (placebo and/or permethrin). Risk of bias assessment will be undertaken by two independent reviewers using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool and the certainty of evidence assessed using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations guideline for network meta-analysis. All quantitative analyses will be conducted using STATA V.16.DiscussionThe evidence generated from this systematic review and meta-analysis is intended for use in evidence-driven treatment of head lice infestations and will be instrumental in informing health professionals, public health practitioners and policy-makers.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42017073375.


BMJ Open ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (9) ◽  
pp. e017868
Author(s):  
Joey S.W. Kwong ◽  
Sheyu Li ◽  
Wan-Jie Gu ◽  
Hao Chen ◽  
Chao Zhang ◽  
...  

IntroductionEffective selection of coronary lesions for revascularisation is pivotal in the management of symptoms and adverse outcomes in patients with coronary artery disease. Recently, instantaneous ‘wave-free’ ratio (iFR) has been proposed as a new diagnostic index for assessing the severity of coronary stenoses without the need of pharmacological vasodilation. Evidence of the effectiveness of iFR-guided revascularisation is emerging and a systematic review is warranted.Methods and analysisThis is a protocol for a systematic review of randomised controlled trials and controlled observational studies. Electronic sources including MEDLINE via Ovid, Embase, Cochrane databases and ClinicalTrials.gov will be searched for potentially eligible studies investigating the effects of iFR-guided strategy in patients undergoing coronary revascularisation. Studies will be selected against transparent eligibility criteria and data will be extracted using a prestandardised data collection form by two independent authors. Risk of bias in included studies and overall quality of evidence will be assessed using validated methodological tools. Meta-analysis will be performed using the Review Manager software. Our systematic review will be performed according to the guidance from the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement.Ethics and disseminationEthics approval is not required. Results of the systematic review will be disseminated as conference proceedings and peer-reviewed journal publication.Trial registration numberThis protocol is registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO), registration number CRD42017065460.


1999 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. 229 ◽  
Author(s):  
C.M.E. Kremer ◽  
J.T.H. Helsdingen ◽  
J.A. Schutte ◽  
E. Vester

Author(s):  
Holly J. Baker ◽  
Peter J. Lawrence ◽  
Jessica Karalus ◽  
Cathy Creswell ◽  
Polly Waite

AbstractAnxiety disorders are common in adolescence but outcomes for adolescents are unclear and we do not know what factors moderate treatment outcome for this age group. We conducted meta-analyses to establish the effectiveness of psychological therapies for adolescent anxiety disorders in (i) reducing anxiety disorder symptoms, and (ii) remission from the primary anxiety disorder, compared with controls, and examine potential moderators of treatment effects. The protocol was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42018091744). Electronic databases (Web of Science, MEDLINE, Psycinfo, EMBASE) were searched from January 1990 to December 2019. 2511 articles were reviewed, those meeting strict criteria were included. Random effects meta-analyses were conducted. Analyses of symptom severity outcomes comprised sixteen studies (CBT k = 15, non-CBT k = 1; n = 766 adolescents), and analyses of diagnostic remission outcomes comprised nine (CBT k = 9; n = 563 adolescents). Post-treatment, those receiving treatment were significantly more likely to experience reduced symptom severity (SMD = 0.454, 95% CI 0.22–0.69) and remission from the primary anxiety disorder than controls (RR = 7.94, 95% CI 3.19–12.7) (36% treatment vs. 9% controls in remission). None of the moderators analysed were statistically significant. Psychological therapies targeting anxiety disorders in adolescents are more effective than controls. However, with only just over a third in remission post-treatment, there is a clear need to develop more effective treatments for adolescents, evaluated through high-quality randomised controlled trials incorporating active controls and follow-up data.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Ying He ◽  
Yuxi Li ◽  
Juan Li ◽  
Ning Li ◽  
Yonggang Zhang ◽  
...  

Objectives. The aim of the current study was to analyze the 100 most-cited systematic reviews or meta-analyses in the field of acupuncture research. Methods. The Web of Science Core Collection was used to retrieve lists of 100 most-cited systematic reviews or meta-analyses in the field of acupuncture research. Two authors screened literature, extracted data, and analyzed the results. Results. The citation number of the 100 most-cited systematic reviews or meta-analyses varied from 65 to 577; they were published between 1989 and 2018. Fourteen authors published more than 1 study as the corresponding author and 10 authors published more than 1 study as the first author. In terms of the corresponding authors, Edzard Ernst and Linde Klaus published the most systematic reviews/meta-analyses (n = 7). The USA published most of the systematic reviews or meta-analyses (n = 24), followed by England (n = 23) and China (n = 14). Most institutions with more than 1 study were from England (4/13). The institutions with the largest numbers of most-cited systematic reviews or meta-analyses were the Technical University of Munich in Germany, the University of Maryland School of Medicine in the USA (n = 8), the Universities of Exeter and Plymouth in England (n = 6), and the University of Exeter in England (n = 6). The journal with the largest number of most-cited systematic reviews or meta-analyses was the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (n = 20), followed by Pain (n = 6). Conclusion. Our study reveals that the 100 most-cited systematic reviews or meta-analyses in the acupuncture research field are mostly from high impact factor journals and developed countries. It will help researchers follow research hot spots, broaden their research scope, expand their academic horizons, and explore new research ideas, thereby improving the quality of acupuncture research.


Author(s):  
Daniel Diaz ◽  
Pavel Eduardo Hernandez-Carreño ◽  
Diana Zuleika Velazquez ◽  
Miguel Angel Chaidez-Ibarra ◽  
Arnulfo Montero-Pardo ◽  
...  

Poultry and poultry-derived products such as meat and eggs are among the main sources of non-typhoidal Salmonella (NTS) transmission to the human. Therefore, we performed a systematic review and used random-effects meta-analyses to 1) estimate the prevalence of NTS in poultry samples from birds, products and subproducts, and environmental samples, 2) examine the diversity and frequency of their serovars, and 3) estimate the prevalence and profiles of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in NTS isolates reported in studies from the Americas. We included 157 studies from 15 countries comprising 261,408 poultry samples and estimated an overall pooled prevalence of 17.9% (95% CI: 10.8–26.3) in birds, 21.8% (17.7–26.1) in products and subproducts, and 29.5% (24.2–35.1) in environmental samples. At the national level, the prevalence of NTS was heterogenous across countries with the highest values in Mexico, the USA, and Canada. In total, 131 serovars were identified from 13,388 isolates, Heidelberg, Kentucky, Enteritidis, and Typhimurium were the most prevalent in the overall top 10 ranking (range 6.5–20.8%). At the national level, Enteritidis and Typhimurium were identified in most of the countries, though with national differences in their ranks. The prevalence of AMR increased from 24.1% for 1 antibiotic, to 36.2% for 2-3 antibiotics, and 49.6% for ≥ 4 antibiotics. Kentucky, Heidelberg, Typhimurium, and Enteritidis were the serovars with the highest prevalence of AMR and tetracycline, ampicillin, streptomycin, ceftiofur, and amoxicillin-clavulanic acid were the top five antibiotics to which NTS isolates were resistant. In conclusion, NTS was distributed through the avian production chain with high and heterogenous values of prevalence in poultry samples. Besides, there were distinctive patterns of serovars distribution across countries and an alarming prevalence of AMR among zoonotic serovars.


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