HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ALL ISSUES SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a Colleague Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Furlan, P. M. Articles by Katz, I. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Furlan, P. M. Articles by Katz, I.

SSRIs Do Not Cause Affective Blunting in Healthy Elderly Volunteers

Received June 30, 2003; revised October 3, 2003; accepted November 18, 2003. From the Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA (PMF,IL,IK); MIRECC, Philadelphia Veterans Administration Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA (PMF,IK), and the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA (MJK,TTH). Send correspondence to Ira Katz, M.D., Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, 3535 Market Street, Room 3001, Philadelphia, PA 19104. e-mail: katzi{at}mail.med.upenn.edu
© 2004 American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry

Objective: This study was undertaken to evaluate the effects of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) on affective experience in healthy older adults. Methods: After 1 week of observation, normal elderly volunteers (age range: 65–84 years) were given placebo, paroxetine (10 mg–40 mg/day), or sertraline (50 mg–150 mg/day) for 3 weeks in a double-blind study. Paroxetine- and sertraline-treated subjects were analyzed together as the SSRI group (N=30). Volunteers were assessed weekly and recorded mood and events in a daily diary each evening. All data were analyzed with mixed-effects random-regression models. Results: There were significant relationships between daily affect and events reported in the daily diary for the sample as a whole, with no differences between groups in mean slopes of positive or negative affect across the length of the study. There were no differences between groups in affective variability. However, the SSRI group, but not the placebo group, demonstrated a significant drug-dependent decrease in negative affect related to negative events. There were no other observed group differences on any other measure. Conclusion: Interpreting the results conservatively, they demonstrate that SSRIs are not associated with affective toxicity in elderly persons.

Key Words: Depression • SSRIs • Side Effects • Paroxetine • Sertraline

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M. R. Elliott Identifying latent clusters of variability in longitudinal data Biostat., October 1, 2007; 8(4): 756 - 771. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. G. Chepenik, T. T. Have, D. Oslin, C. Datto, C. Zubritsky, and I. R. Katz A Daily Diary Study of Late-Life Depression Am J Geriatr Psychiatry, March 1, 2006; 14(3): 270 - 279. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. Weintraub, M. S. Cary, M. B. Stern, D. Taraborelli, and I. R. Katz Daily Affect in Parkinson Disease Is Responsive to Life Events and Motor Symptoms Am J Geriatr Psychiatry, February 1, 2006; 14(2): 161 - 168. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]