39776
document
The SNRI venlafaxine improves emotional unawareness in patients with post-stroke depression . OBJECTIVE Patients with stroke have a high prevalence of depression and unawareness of emotions or alexithymia . Here we investigated the effects of the serotoninergic and noradrenergic reuptake inhibitor ( SNRI ) venlafaxine in comparison with the SSRI fluoxetine on alexithymia severity in patients with DSM-IV post-stroke major depressive-like episode ( PSD ) . METHODS Fifty inpatients with first-ever stroke and PSD were consecutively enrolled in this randomized open-label study . Twenty-five were treated with the SNRI venlafaxine SR ( 75-150 mg/die ) , and 25 with the SSRI fluoxetine ( 20-40 mg/die ) . All patients were assessed at day 0 , and after 1 , 2 , 4 , 6 , and 8 weeks , using the Mini-Mental State Examination , the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale , and the Toronto Alexithymia Scale ( TAS-20 ) . RESULTS Patients treated with fluoxetine and those treated with venlafaxine showed similar improvement in depressive symptoms . However , patients treated with venlafaxine had a greater improvement on alexithymia severity than those treated with fluoxetine . The effect of venlafaxine on unawareness of emotions was evident in patients with alexithymia ( TAS-20 > or= 61 ) at the baseline and in those without alexithymia ( TAS-20 < 61 ) . CONCLUSIONS Antidepressants acting on both the serotoninergic and noradrenergic systems might represent a valid resource not only for the treatment of depression but also for improving emotional unawareness in stroke patients .
39777
Intervention_Pharmacological
SNRI venlafaxine
39778
Intervention_Pharmacological
serotoninergic and noradrenergic reuptake inhibitor ( SNRI ) venlafaxine
39779
Intervention_Pharmacological
SSRI fluoxetine
39780
Intervention_Pharmacological
SNRI venlafaxine
39781
Intervention_Pharmacological
SSRI fluoxetine
39782
Outcome_Mental
emotional unawareness
39783
Outcome_Mental
alexithymia .
39784
Outcome_Mental
alexithymia
39785
Outcome_Mental
Mini-Mental State Examination , the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale , and the Toronto Alexithymia Scale
39786
Outcome_Mental
depressive symptoms .
39787
Outcome_Mental
alexithymia severity
39788
Outcome_Mental
unawareness of emotions
39789
Outcome_Mental
emotional unawareness