Tricyclic antidepressants in prepubertal depressed children: review of the literature.

Abstract

Other studies have reported the use of TCA antidepressants in the treatment of depressed children (Frommer 1967; Ossofsky 1974; Stack 1972; Polvan and Cebiroglu 1972). However, these studies did not meet criteria for inclusion in this review. In studies, other medicines were given concurrently with TCAs. Several did not specify the number of subjects and/or the number who responded. Sometimes subjects who were not diagnosed as depressed were included. Also studies of childhood depression tend to include adolescents; thus many samples were a mixture of adolescents and prepubertal children with the adolescents frequently predominating. As the purpose of this review was depression in prepubertal children, only studies comprised predominantly of prepubertal children were included. Although not included in this review, many such studies reported TCAs were useful in treating depression in children. After reviewing these studies, it is obvious that their sophistication has improved dramatically in recent years. Standard diagnostic criteria such as Feighner's Research Diagnostic Criteria, the Research Diagnostic Criteria, and more recently DSM-III (all of which are similar) have permitted a more objective and standardized diagnosis of depression. Likewise, the development of the Children's Depression Inventory and the Childhood Depression Rating Scale have allowed more objective measurement of severity of depression and of improvement in depression in children. Plasma drug level monitoring has allowed for pharmacokinetic studies of TCAs, more precise dose adjustment and equivalent drug treatment of subjects involved in clinical research studies. Studies to date indicate TCAs were helpful in treating depressed prepubertal children. However, double-blind placebo/control studies of tricyclic antidepressants in depressed prepubertal school-aged children have not been published. Ideally a study of antidepressants in children should include: objective standardized diagnostic criteria for diagnosing depression; objective rating of severity of depression; explicit exclusion criteria; steady-state plasma blood level monitoring; assured compliance; adequate duration of treatment so sufficient time is allowed for response to occur; a double-blind study design. Unfortunately the ideal study has not been done. TCAs may be an effective treatment for prepubertal major depressive disorder. However, further study is necessary to clearly establish their efficacy.