Heuristic comparison of sertraline with nortriptyline for the treatment ofdepression in frail elderly patients

Studies have demonstrated that the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor a ntidepressants have similar efficacy, to other agents, such as tricyclic an tidepressants However; data are limited for direct comparisons with other a ntidepressants. The authors conducted a contemporaneous comparison of nursi ng home residents treated with open-label sertraline in doses up to 100 mg/ day with nursing home residents treated in a double-blind randomized study, of low vs. regular doses of nortriptyline. There were 97 patients enrolled in the study, (28 treated with sertraline), with an average treatment dura tion of 55 days. There were no differences in the tolerability of sertralin e vs nortriptyline. However in this group of frail older adults, sertraline was not as effective as nortriptyline for the treatment of depression.