A double blind comparative trial of nomifensin and desimipramine in depression. Relationship between treatment and phenylethylamine excretion.

The effect of nomifensin (Hoechst 36984), a synthetic psychotropic drug whose structure differs from MAO inhibitors and tricyclics, was studied in a double blind comparative trial with desimipramine in patients with various depressive syndromes. Forty-three patients (23 in the nomifensin group and 20 in the desimipramine group) were studied for 6 weeks. Clinical follow-up was done with the Wittenborn scale (WPRS), Hamilton's rating scale for depression (HRS), Zung's scale (SDS), and the PEN inventory. The average daily dose was nomifensin 84 mg and desimipramine 76 mg. Changes in HRS, WPRS and SDS showed statistically significant improvement with both treatments. A moderate anxiolytic effect was found in the nomifensin group, whereas medication had to be discontinued in two desimipramine-treated patients because of its drive-enhancing effect. Urinary phenylethylamine excretion rose in 2 out of 8 patients after 5 weeks of treatment with nomifensin.

The cognitive, subjective, and physical effects of a ginkgo biloba/panax ginseng combination in healthy volunteers with neurasthenic complaints.

We evaluated the effects of a Ginkgo biloba/ginseng combination on cognitive function in this 90-day, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study. Sixty-four healthy volunteers (aged 40 to 65 years), selected on the basis of fulfilling the ICD-10 F48.0 criteria for neurasthenia, were assigned randomly to four equal dosing groups, receiving 80, 160, or 320 mg of the combination b.i.d. or placebo. Assessments were performed on the day before dosing, and again at Days 1, 30, and 90 at 1 hour after the morning dose and 1 hour after the afternoon dose. The assessments included the Cognitive Drug Research (CDR) computerized assessment system, the Vienna Determination Unit, cycle ergometry, and various questionnaires. The treatments were well tolerated by all volunteers. On Day 90 at 1 hour post morning dosing, dose-related improvements were seen on the CDR tests, the 320 mg dose being significantly superior to placebo. These effects, however, were reversed 1 hour after the afternoon dose, possibly suggesting that a longer inter-dosing interval would be preferable. The 80-mg dose produced a significant benefit on the ergometry assessment of heart rate at maximum load. There were also several supporting changes from other assessments, including an advantage of 320 mg over placebo on the global score from the Symptom Checklist-90-revised (SCL-90-R) at Day 90.