Quetiapine is a novel, atypical antipsychotic agent that has been shown to provide long-term efficacy without serious adverse effects in adults. This is the first study of the extended use of quetiapine in adolescents. Five boys and 5 girls, ages 12.3 to 15.9 years, with diagnoses of schizoaffective disorder (n = 7) or bipolar disorder with psychotic features (n = 3) were eligible for entry into this single-site, 88-week, open-label trial. Subjects had completed a pharmacokinetic study over 23 days, during which the dosage of quetiapine was increased sequentially from 25 mg bid to a maximum of 400 mg bid (800 mg/day) (McConville et al. 2000). In the open-label extension of this trial, which followed directly after this trial, a physician's choice design allowed for flexible dose titration of quetiapine by the study physician to an optimal dose for each patient, with ending doses ranging from 300 mg/day to 800 mg/day. Concomitant medications, especially for anxiety and/or manic symptoms, were allowed as deemed necessary. Tolerability and safety were assessed using clinical laboratory tests, physical examinations, measurements of vital signs, interviews for selective symptomatology, and electrocardiograms. Psychiatric measurements included the 18-item Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS), the Clinical Global Impression (CGI) scale, and the modified Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS). Neurologic symptom ratings included the Simpson-Angus Scale and the Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale. Mean BPRS, CGI, and SANS scores improved significantly during the trial (p < 0.05). No extrapyramidal symptoms or evidence of tardive dyskinesia was seen. Clinically, there was a nonsignificant increase in mean weight and body mass index at week 64. This long-term study suggests that quetiapine is a well-tolerated antipsychotic agent that is efficacious for the treatment of symptoms of selected psychotic disorders in adolescents.
This open study investigated the effects of sertraline in treating 13 adolescents, ages 12 to 18, who were hospitalized for treatment of a major depressive episode. The sample included 7 adolescents with nonendogenous depression and 6 with endogenous depression, as diagnosed by both Research Diagnostic Criteria (RDC) and Kiddie-SADS-P DSM-III-R endogenous subtype criteria. These patients were followed for an inpatient length of stay ranging from 9 to 38 days (mean 19 days), with later outpatient follow-up for a total of 12 weeks. Measures of depression were found to improve significantly, including suicidal ideation and most of the DSM-III-R symptoms of major depression. Sertraline (mean 110 mg or 1.96 mg/kg daily) significantly decreased scores on the 24-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale and Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale from premedication baseline to treatment week 12, and also between weeks 1 (after a large week 1 improvement, presumably due to nondrug effects) and 12. There was a small but significant improvement on the Children's Global Assessment Scale between baseline and week 12, but the Family Global Assessment Scale showed no significant change; neither global assessment scale showed significant effects between weeks 1 and 12. Sleep disturbance was common (69%) after 12 weeks of treatment, but clinically significant improvements in sleep patterns were also observed. This open-label prospective study suggests that sertraline might be useful in treating adolescents with major depression. Adverse effects, mainly insomnia and drowsiness, were relatively common but usually manageable. One patient developed mania after 8 days of sertraline treatment at a dose of 100 mg daily.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.