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Sertraline prevents mood disorders after TBI

Sertraline may effectively prevent depressive disorders following traumatic brain injury, according to recent findings.

“Depressive disorders are a common event after TBI. The reported frequency of depression following TBI has varied from 6% to 77%. Such heterogeneity is owing to differences in recruitment settings, the methods used to assess depression, and the timing of these assessments with respect to the index TBI,” Ricardo E. Jorge, MD, of Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, and colleagues wrote.

To assess efficacy of sertraline for prevention of depressive disorders following TBI, researchers conducted a double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group randomized clinical trial among 94 individuals, aged 18 to 85 years, hospitalized for mild, moderate or severe TBI. Study participants received 100 mg of sertraline (n = 48) or placebo (n = 46) per day for 24 weeks or until development of a mood disorder.

At 24 weeks, the number of participants needed to treat to prevent depression after TBI was 5.9 (95% CI, 3.1-71.1; P = .03) for sertraline treatment vs. placebo.

Sertraline did not affect neuropsychological outcomes, according to researchers.

Overall, sertraline was well-tolerated and adverse effects were mild in both treatment groups.

“Given the prevalence and functional effect of depression among patients with TBI, these findings have profound therapeutic implications. However, although our findings are novel and provocative, recommending a change in the guidelines to treat patients with TBI requires replication of these findings in multicenter studies. In addition, it would be important to study whether combining antidepressants with behavioral interventions, such as psychotherapy or cognitive rehabilitation protocols, will optimize long-term functional outcomes,” the researchers concluded. – by Amanda Oldt

Disclosure: Jorge reports receiving lecture honoraria from Xiang-Jansen Pharmaceuticals. Please see the full study for a list of all authors’ relevant financial disclosures.