From symptoms to social functioning: differential effects of antidepressant therapy.

Kasper S

Department of General Psychiatry,
University of Vienna, Austria.
Int Clin Psychopharmacol 1999 May; 14 Suppl 1:S27-31

ABSTRACT

Significant impairments in social functioning frequently occur simultaneously with depressive symptoms. The implications of such impairments extend beyond the depressed individual to their family, friends and society at large. Classical rating scales such as the Hamilton rating scale for depression primarily assess the core symptoms of depression. A range of rating scales are available, both self-reporting and administered by clinician; however, many have been criticized for their unspecified conceptual background and for being complex and time-consuming. While antidepressants in general appear to improve social functioning, no clear advantage for any single class of agent has been reported. Recently, a new self-report rating scale, the Social Adaptation Self-evaluation Scale, has been developed and used to compare the novel selective noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor, reboxetine, with the selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitor, fluoxetine.  The noradrenergic agent, reboxetine, was shown to be significantly more effective in improving social functioning than the serotonergic agent, fluoxetine.  These findings are consistent with previous observations that noradrenaline may preferentially improve vigilance, motivation, and self-perception.

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                Reboxetine  research / abstracts

         1.   Reboxetine  role in antidepressant therapy
         2.   Reboxetine  efficacy and tolerability
         3.   Reboxetine  clinical pharmacologic profile
         4.   Inhibiting  the reuptake of noradrenaline and serotonin
         5.   Reboxetine  and depression in the elderly
         6.   Reboxetine  with severe major depressive disorder
         7.   Reboxetine  clinical efficacy in major depression
         8.   Reboxetine  tolerability and safety for major depression
         9.   Reboxetine  comparison with fluoxetine
        10   Reboxetine  versus fluoxetine, impact on social functioning
        11.  Reboxetine  versus fluoxetine, differential effects
        12.  Reboxetine  prevents relapse in  major depression
        13   Reboxetine  efficacy compared with imipramine
        14.  Noradrenaline reuptake inhibition
        15.  Antidepressants  noradrenergic versus serotonergic 
        16.  Reboxetine  in the treatment of bulimia
        17.  Reboxetine  hemodynamic effects in healthy males
        18.  Reboxetine  effects of antidepressant therapy
        19.  Reboxetine  place in antidepressant therapy
        20.  Reboxetine  stimulant effects in patients with narcolepsy
        21.  Reboxetine  selective noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor (NARI)