SynthesisThe international journal of neuropsychopharmacology2015
Atypical Antipsychotic Augmentation for Treatment-Resistant Depression: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis.
Synthesis in The international journal of neuropsychopharmacology, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 70 papers, 8 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
70 citing papers in PubMed, 8 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 191 citations in OpenAlex.
- Antidepressive Effect of Antipsychotics in the Treatment of Schizophrenia: Meta-Regression Analysis of Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trials.The international journal of neuropsychopharmacology · 2021Pooled it
- Adjunctive Vagus Nerve Stimulation for Treatment-Resistant Depression: a Quantitative Analysis.The Psychiatric quarterly · 2020Pooled it
- Treatment Response of Add-On Esketamine Nasal Spray in Resistant Major Depression in Relation to Add-On Second-Generation Antipsychotic Treatment.The international journal of neuropsychopharmacology · 2020Pooled it
- Pharmacological interventions for treatment-resistant depression in adults.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2019Pooled it
- Vortioxetine treatment for generalised anxiety disorder: a meta-analysis of anxiety, quality of life and safety outcomes.BMJ open · 2019Pooled it
- Brexpiprazole as Adjunctive Treatment for Major Depressive Disorder Following Treatment Failure With at Least One Antidepressant in the Current Episode: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.The international journal of neuropsychopharmacology · 2019Pooled it
- Canadian Network for Mood and Anxiety Treatments (CANMAT) 2016 Clinical Guidelines for the Management of Adults with Major Depressive Disorder: Section 3. Pharmacological Treatments.Canadian journal of psychiatry. Revue canadienne de psychiatrie · 2016Pooled it
- Antipsychotics for fibromyalgia in adults.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2016Pooled it
- Efficacy and target engagement of dopamine agonist pramipexole for anhedonic depression: a randomized placebo-controlled trial.Nature medicine · 2026Trial
- Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation as Maintenance Treatment of Depression: The MAINT-R Randomized Clinical Trial.JAMA network open · 2025Trial
- The novel uncompetitive NMDA receptor antagonist esmethadone (REL-1017) has no meaningful abuse potential in recreational drug users.Translational psychiatry · 2023Trial
- Efficacy and Safety of Lumateperone and Other Atypical Antipsychotics Approved as Adjunctive Treatment for Major Depressive Disorder in the United States: A Network Meta-Analysis.Advances in therapy · 2026Article
- Second-Generation Antipsychotics for Depression in Serious Illness: A First-Line Augmentation Strategy.Journal of pain and symptom management · 2026Review
- Disease-specific therapeutic plasma concentration ranges for quetiapine in schizophrenia, manic episode, depressive episode, and depressive comorbid insomnia.Discover mental health · 2026Article
- Sympathetic activation but not dissociation linked to ketamine's sustained antidepressant effect.Therapeutic advances in psychopharmacology · 2026Article
- Co-Administration Treatment in Drug-Naïve Major Depression: Exploratory Real-World Patterns and Predictors in China.Neuropsychiatric disease and treatment · 2026Article
- A high-power near-infrared photobiomodulation device: design, fabrication, and primary impact on treatment-resistant depression.Lasers in medical science · 2025Article
- Randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical trial on the contributions of vitamin D in the control of cardiovascular risk factors, depressive symptoms and suicide risk.American heart journal plus : cardiology research and practice · 2025Article
- Chronic Quetiapine Administration Has a Therapeutic Effect on Anxiety and Depression-Like Behavior in a Chronic Unpredictable Mild Stress (CUMS) Rat Model.Brain and behavior · 2025Article
- Generalizability of Risk Models for Treatment-Resistant Depression Across Three Health Systems.medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences · 2025Article
10 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
11 authors at 10 institutions in 5 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundPrevious meta-analyses of atypical antipsychotics for depression were limited by few trials with direct comparisons between two treatments. We performed a network meta-analysis, which integrates direct and indirect evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCTs), to investigate the comparative efficacy and tolerability of adjunctive atypical antipsychotics for treatment-resistant depression (TRD).
methodsSystematic searches resulted in 18 RCTs (total n = 4422) of seven different types and different dosages of atypical antipsychotics and a placebo that were included in the review.
resultsAll standard-dose atypical antipsychotics were significantly more efficacious than placebo in the efficacy (standardized mean differences [SMDs] ranged from -0.27 to -0.43). There were no significant differences between these drugs. Low-dose atypical antipsychotics were not significantly more efficacious than the placebo. In terms of tolerability, all standard-dose atypical antipsychotics, apart from risperidone, had significantly more side-effect discontinuations than placebo (odds ratios [ORs] ranged from 2.72 to 6.40). In terms of acceptability, only quetiapine (mean 250-350 mg daily) had significantly more all-cause discontinuation than placebo (OR = 1.89). In terms of quality of life/functioning, standard-dose risperidone and standard-dose aripiprazole were more beneficial than placebo (SMD = -0.38; SMD = -0.26, respectively), and standard-dose risperidone was superior to quetiapine (mean 250-350 mg daily).
conclusionsAll standard-dose atypical antipsychotics for the adjunctive treatment of TRD are efficacious in reducing depressive symptoms. Risperidone and aripiprazole also showed benefits in improving the quality of life of patients. Atypical antipsychotics should be prescribed with caution due to abundant evidence of side effects.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.