Course and rate of antidepressant response in the very old

Objective: The authors examined elderly patients with major depression to determine the relationship of current age to treatment response course and success rate. Methods: Three studies of elderly depressed patients provided data on antidepressant treatment response in 323 subjects, treated in protocols using either nortriptyline or paroxetine. We grouped the subjects by current age: 'young-old' (59-69, N = 163), 'middle-old' (70-75, N = 80), and 'older-old' (76-99, N = 80). We employed mixed-effect random regression analyses to examine Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression scores over 12 weeks of acute treatment. Results: Older-old patients responded as quickly and successfully as the young- and middle-old. Conclusions: Major depression in the very old can be treated as successfully as in early old age. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.