Pharmacologic Treatment of Poststroke Depression: a Systematic Review of the Literature

Unlabelled: CLINICAL QUESTION/OBJECTIVE: A systematic evaluation of the literature published from 1966 until December 2001 on pharmacologic interventions for poststroke depression (PSD).

Design: Articles were selected from a computer-based search and were independently reviewed by three evaluators using a standardized criteria including internal validity items as well as descriptive and quantitative items.

Results: Fifty studies were preliminarily reviewed and 10 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were included for systematic analysis.

Conclusion: Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (citalopram and fluoxetine) may be effective in the treatment of PSD. There is some evidence for a beneficial effect of the tricyclic antidepressant nortriptyline, however, the RCTs for this medication lack sufficient validity, and reports on side effects are contradictory.