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document
Dexamethasone for the treatment of depression : a randomized , placebo-controlled , double-blind trial . OBJECTIVE The authors ' goal was to assess dexamethasone for the treatment of depression . METHOD Thirty-seven outpatients ( 11 men and 26 women ) meeting DSM-III-R criteria for major depressive disorder were randomly assigned to receive either placebo or 4 mg/day of oral dexamethasone for 4 days . Baseline Hamilton depression scale scores were compared with scores obtained 14 days after the first dose of study medication . Data were analyzed by using two-sample t tests , chi-square methods , and Fisher 's exact test . RESULTS Seven ( 37 % ) of the 19 patients given dexamethasone but only one ( 6 % ) of the 18 patients given placebo responded positively . No adverse events or side effects were reported , and all patients who entered the study completed it . CONCLUSIONS A brief course of oral dexamethasone ( 4 days ) was significantly more effective than placebo within 14 days for the treatment of depression in a randomized , double-blind study of depressed outpatients .
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Intervention_Pharmacological
Dexamethasone
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Intervention_Pharmacological
dexamethasone
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Intervention_Control
placebo
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Intervention_Pharmacological
oral dexamethasone
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Intervention_Pharmacological
dexamethasone
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Intervention_Control
placebo
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Outcome_Physical
Hamilton depression scale scores
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Outcome_Adverse-effects
adverse events or side effects