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Ginsberg LD, Oubre AY, Daoud YA. L-methylfolate Plus SSRI or SNRI from Treatment Initiation Compared to SSRI or SNRI Monotherapy in a Major Depressive Episode. Innov Clin Neurosci. 2011;8(1):19-28
Ginsberg, L. D., Oubre, A. Y., & Daoud, Y. A. (2011). L-methylfolate Plus SSRI or SNRI from Treatment Initiation Compared to SSRI or SNRI Monotherapy in a Major Depressive Episode. Innovations in clinical neuroscience, 8(1), 19-28.
Ginsberg, Lawrence D, et al. "L-methylfolate Plus SSRI or SNRI from Treatment Initiation Compared to SSRI or SNRI Monotherapy in a Major Depressive Episode." Innovations in clinical neuroscience vol. 8,1 (2011): 19-28.
Ginsberg LD, Oubre AY, Daoud YA. L-methylfolate Plus SSRI or SNRI from Treatment Initiation Compared to SSRI or SNRI Monotherapy in a Major Depressive Episode. Innov Clin Neurosci. 2011 Jan;8(1):19-28. PMID: 21311704; PMCID: PMC3036555.
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Innov Clin Neurosci. 2011 Jan;8(1):19-28.

L-methylfolate Plus SSRI or SNRI from Treatment Initiation Compared to SSRI or SNRI Monotherapy in a Major Depressive Episode.

Innovations in clinical neuroscience

Lawrence D Ginsberg, Alondra Y Oubre, Yahya A Daoud

Affiliations

  1. Dr. Ginsberg is from Red Oak Psychiatry Associates, PA, Houston, Texas.

PMID: 21311704 PMCID: PMC3036555

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Evaluate the efficacy of L-methylfolate in combination with SSRI or SNRI compared to SSRI or SNRI monotherapy in a major depressive episode.

DESIGN: A retrospective analysis of L-methylfolate plus SSRI/SNRI at treatment initiation (n=95) and SSRI/SNRI monotherapy (n=147) from patient charts.

SETTING: Outpatient, private psychiatric clinic/practice.

PARTICIPANTS: Adults 18 to 70 with major depressive episode (single or recurrent).

MEASUREMENTS: Clinical Global Impressions-Severity (CGI-S) and safety/tolerability measures.

RESULTS: Major improvement (CGI-S reduced by ≥2 points) was experienced by 18.5 percent of L-methylfolate plus SSRI/SNRI patients (CGI-S=4-5) compared to 7.04 percent of SSRI/SNRI monotherapy (p=0.01) patients at 60 days. Forty percent of L-methylfolate plus SSRI/SNRI patients with greater functional impairment (CGI-S=5) experienced major improvement compared to 16.3 percent of SSRI/SNRI monotherapy patients (p=0.02). Median times to major improvement were 177 days for L-methylfolate plus SSRI/SNRI patients and 231 days for SSRI/SNRI monotherapy patients (p=0.03). Median time to major improvement for L-methylfolate plus SSRI/SNRI patients with greater functional impairment (CGI-S=5) was 85 days and 150 days for SSRI/SNRI monotherapy patients (p=0.018). There were no significant differences between groups in adverse events. Discontinuation due to adverse events was 17.9 percent in L-methylfolate plus SSRI/SNRI patients compared to 34 percent in the SSRI/SNRI monotherapy patients over duration of the study (p=0.0078).

CONCLUSION: L-methylfolate plus antidepressant at treatment onset was more effective in improving depressive symptoms and function measured by CGI-S scores within 60 days than antidepressant monotherapy, led to major symptomatic improvement more rapidly than SSRI/SNRI monotherapy, and was better tolerated.

Keywords: L-methylfolate; SNRI; SSRI; folate; major depressive disorder; treatment initiation

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