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Plasma nortriptyline and clinical response–a study using changing plasma levels

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2009

Graham D. Burrows,
Kay P. Maguire,
Bruce A. Scoggins,
James Stevenson and
Brian Davies
Graham D. Burrows
Affiliation:
From the Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne, Royal Melbourne Hospital and Howard Florey Institute of Experimental Physiology and Medicine, University of Melbourne, Australia
Kay P. Maguire
Affiliation:
From the Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne, Royal Melbourne Hospital and Howard Florey Institute of Experimental Physiology and Medicine, University of Melbourne, Australia
Bruce A. Scoggins
Affiliation:
From the Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne, Royal Melbourne Hospital and Howard Florey Institute of Experimental Physiology and Medicine, University of Melbourne, Australia
James Stevenson
Affiliation:
From the Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne, Royal Melbourne Hospital and Howard Florey Institute of Experimental Physiology and Medicine, University of Melbourne, Australia
Brian Davies*
Affiliation:
From the Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne, Royal Melbourne Hospital and Howard Florey Institute of Experimental Physiology and Medicine, University of Melbourne, Australia
*
1Address for correspondence: Professor Brian Davies, Clinical Sciences Block, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria 3050, Australia.
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Synopsis

In a 5-week study of 22 depressed patients treated with nortriptyline, significant changes in plasma levels, both elevated and reduced, were deliberately produced in the third and fourth weeks of each patient's treatment. Correlation of plasma nortriptyline levels and changes in the severity of depression, as measured by the Hamilton Depression Scale, showed no significant relationships. The implications of the study are discussed.

Information

Type
Research Article
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 7 , Issue 1 , February 1977, pp. 87 - 91
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1977

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References

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