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Gender is known to have an influence on medical treatment and the prescribing and outcome of drug treatment. This has also been suggested for selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). To examine sex differences in the treatment with the SSRI sertraline in routine treatment of depression, data from a 6-month prospective drug utilization observation study on 3,858 women and 1,594 men were analysed for gender differences. Compared to men, women were more often treated by a general practitioner, were somewhat older, had a later onset of illness, were more likely to suffer from a recurrent rather than a first episode of depression, had been treated for depression before, and showed more anxious and less neurasthenic or retarded syndromes. There was no difference regarding duration of the present episode or severity of illness. The mean prescribed dose of sertraline was marginally lower for females compared to males (45.5 versus 46.5 mg/day) with no difference in the rate of psychoactive concomitant medication (6.76% versus 6.80%). There was no difference in side-effects, treatment termination or treatment response.

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The working team ‘EEG in Phase I of the Collegium Internationale Psychiatrae Scalarum presents a standard operating procedure (SOP) for the registration and computer-supported evaluation of pharmaco-EEG data, which is based on published guidelines. The minimum standard for recording, amplifying and filtering, validation of hardware and software, artifact treatment and fast Fourier analysis is described in a tabulated form and further explained as accompanying comments. The available SOP can be the basis for the working out of laboratory-specific SOPs. Compliance with the SOP guarantees the possibility of citation by the International Pharmaco-EEG Group (IPEG), Association for Methodology and Documentation in Psychiatry (AMDP), and Collegium Internationale Psychiatriae Scalarum (CIPS). Furthermore, an optimal standard is recommended where appropriate, which functions as a guideline.

No abstract