Abstract
Objective: The authors examined the relationships between levels of three metabolites (folate, vitamin B12, and homocysteine) and both depressive subtype and response to fluoxetine treatment in depressed patients. Method: Fluoxetine. 20 mg/day for 8 weeks, was given to 213 outpatients with major depressive disorder. At baseline, depressive subtypes were assessed, and a blood sample was collected from each patient. Serum metabolite levels were assayed. Response to treatment was determined by percentage change in score on the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale. Results: Subjects with low folate levels were more likely to have melancholic depression and were significantly less likely to respond to fluoxetine. Homocysteine and B12 levels were not associated with depressive subtype or treatment response. Conclusions: Overall, the results are consistent with findings linking low folate levels to poorer response to antidepressant treatment. Folate levels might be considered in the evaluation of depressed patients who do not respond to antidepressant treatment.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 426-428 |
| Number of pages | 3 |
| Journal | American Journal of Psychiatry |
| Volume | 154 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| State | Published - 1997 |
| Externally published | Yes |
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ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Psychiatry and Mental health
Cite this
Folate, vitamin B12, and homocysteine in major depressive disorder. / Fava, Maurizio; Borus, Joseph S.; Alpert, Jonathan E.; Nierenberg, Andrew A.; Rosenbaum, Jerrold F.; Bottiglieri, Teodoro.
In: American Journal of Psychiatry, Vol. 154, No. 3, 1997, p. 426-428.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Folate, vitamin B12, and homocysteine in major depressive disorder
AU - Fava, Maurizio
AU - Borus, Joseph S.
AU - Alpert, Jonathan E.
AU - Nierenberg, Andrew A.
AU - Rosenbaum, Jerrold F.
AU - Bottiglieri, Teodoro
PY - 1997
Y1 - 1997
N2 - Objective: The authors examined the relationships between levels of three metabolites (folate, vitamin B12, and homocysteine) and both depressive subtype and response to fluoxetine treatment in depressed patients. Method: Fluoxetine. 20 mg/day for 8 weeks, was given to 213 outpatients with major depressive disorder. At baseline, depressive subtypes were assessed, and a blood sample was collected from each patient. Serum metabolite levels were assayed. Response to treatment was determined by percentage change in score on the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale. Results: Subjects with low folate levels were more likely to have melancholic depression and were significantly less likely to respond to fluoxetine. Homocysteine and B12 levels were not associated with depressive subtype or treatment response. Conclusions: Overall, the results are consistent with findings linking low folate levels to poorer response to antidepressant treatment. Folate levels might be considered in the evaluation of depressed patients who do not respond to antidepressant treatment.
AB - Objective: The authors examined the relationships between levels of three metabolites (folate, vitamin B12, and homocysteine) and both depressive subtype and response to fluoxetine treatment in depressed patients. Method: Fluoxetine. 20 mg/day for 8 weeks, was given to 213 outpatients with major depressive disorder. At baseline, depressive subtypes were assessed, and a blood sample was collected from each patient. Serum metabolite levels were assayed. Response to treatment was determined by percentage change in score on the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale. Results: Subjects with low folate levels were more likely to have melancholic depression and were significantly less likely to respond to fluoxetine. Homocysteine and B12 levels were not associated with depressive subtype or treatment response. Conclusions: Overall, the results are consistent with findings linking low folate levels to poorer response to antidepressant treatment. Folate levels might be considered in the evaluation of depressed patients who do not respond to antidepressant treatment.
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UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0030614878&partnerID=8YFLogxK
M3 - Article
C2 - 9054796
AN - SCOPUS:0030614878
VL - 154
SP - 426
EP - 428
JO - American Journal of Psychiatry
JF - American Journal of Psychiatry
SN - 0002-953X
IS - 3
ER -