Salivation Rate: A Physiologic Correlate of Improvement in Hospitalized Depressed Patients Treated with Three Antidepressant Medications

Abstract

Salivation rates were determined in 68 severely depressed hospitalized patients before they received a 4- to 8-week course of treatment on 1 of 3 antidepressant medications (Marplan, Nardil, Tofranil). Perceptual complaint of dry mouth was determined. and diagnosis, assessment of severity of depression, and evaluation of improvement were carried out independently of salivation collection by different psychiatrists. Patients who improve on antidepressant medications have significantly higher pretreatment salivation rates than those who do not improve (p= .005). Salivation rate provides a possible means for predicting treatment success or treatment failure on a specific biological basis. Analysis of the variables of age, sex, diagnosis, and initial severity of depression shows that none decisively alters the relationship of salivation rate and improvement. Pretreatment salivation rate correlates most with treatment outcome for patients on Marplan, somewhat for those on Nardil, and least for those on Tofranil. This suggests that salivation rates may predict treatment outcome only for those patients treated with monoamine oxidase inhibitors. Psychological perception of dry mouth does not correlate with treatment outcome.