An Open-Label Trial of Riluzole in Patients With Treatment-Resistant Major Depression
- 1 January 2004
- journal article
- clinical trial
- Published by American Psychiatric Association Publishing in American Journal of Psychiatry
- Vol. 161 (1), 171-174
- https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.161.1.171
Abstract
This study was conducted to determine the efficacy and safety of riluzole, a glutamate-modulating agent, in patients with recurrent major depression. After a 1-week drug-free period, subjects 18 years or older with a diagnosis of recurrent major depression and a Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale score > or = 20 received riluzole monotherapy (100-200 mg/day) openly for 6 weeks. Nineteen treatment-resistant depressed patients, 53% of whom were classified as having stage 2 treatment resistance or greater, received riluzole at a mean dose of 169 mg/day. Significant improvement occurred during weeks 3 through 6 for all patients and weeks 2 through 6 for completers. Although preliminary, these results indicate that riluzole may have antidepressant properties in some patients.Keywords
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