EFFECTS OF MOCLOBEMIDE ON DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS AND COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE IN A GERIATRIC POPULATION - A CONTROLLED COMPARATIVE-STUDY VERSUS IMIPRAMINE

Moclobemide, a novel monoamine oxidase-A reversible inhibitor with dem onstrated antidepressive efficacy, was administered double-blind versu s imipramine to aged depressive subjects. The two drugs were given for 60 days in increasing doses up to 600 mg for moclobemide and 100 mg f or imipramine. Fifteen patients received moclobemide and 15 received i mipramine. Psychiatric conditions and symptoms were rated at 0, 7, 14, 30, 45, and 60 days after the beginning of the trial by means of the Scale for the Assessment of Psychoorganic Syndromes, Hamilton Rating S cale for Depression, Rome. Depression Inventory, Hamilton Anxiety Rati ng Scale, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-X form, and the Clinical Globa l Impression Scale. Cognition was tested through the Benton visual ret ention test at days 0, 30, and 60 and the Digit Substitution Test of t he Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale at days 0 and 60. Side effects we re assessed through the Dosage Record Emergent Symptoms at days 0, 7, 14, 30, 45, and 60. The dropout rate was significantly greater in the moclobemide group. Both drugs induced an improvement in depressive and anxious symptomatology, with moclobemide showing a faster onset. Furt hermore, moclobemide showed an enhancing effect on cognition, which wa s not shown by imipramine. Such results indicate that moclobemide coul d prove to be the drug of choice in geriatric depression, given that c ognitive effects are prominent in the aged.