A DOUBLE-BLIND COMPARISON OF THE EFFECTS OF FLUOXETINE AND AMITRIPTYLINE ON COGNITIVE FUNCTION IN ELDERLY DEPRESSED-PATIENTS

Sixty-six elderly depressed patients received fluoxetine 20 mg (FLU) or amitriptyline 75 mg (AMI) for 42 days in a double blind parallel group study. Each week, subjects completed a test battery which is sensitive to the residual effects of psychoactive drugs. The results show that FLU and AMI were equally effective in relieving depression. However, the psychometric test battery showed that, compared to FLU, AMI, as expected, produced impairments in cognitive function and psychomotor performance. The relative impairment of cognitive and psychomotor skills following the tricyclic AMI and the lack of such activity after administration of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibition, FLU are important considerations when prescribing antidepressants, especially when the safety and well being of ambulant patients is essential.