SynthesisBMC psychiatry2020
How well do elderly patients with major depressive disorder respond to antidepressants: a systematic review and single-group meta-analysis.
Synthesis in BMC psychiatry, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT06856161 (A Novel Blood Test as a Differential Diagnosis and Drug Efficacy Biomarker in Mental Health), which is not on this map. Cited by 27 papers, 2 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.
A Novel Blood Test as a Differential Diagnosis and Drug Efficacy Biomarker in Mental Health
Who cites it
27 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 61 citations in OpenAlex.
- Psychiatric Association of Türkiye Mood Disorders Section Depression Treatment Guideline - III: Treatment Approach for Depression Subtypes and Special Groups, Psychotherapies, and Psychosocial Interventions.Turk psikiyatri dergisi = Turkish journal of psychiatry · 2026Guideline
- Antidepressants available in Japan for older people with major depressive disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Neuropsychopharmacology reports · 2024Pooled it
- Efficacy of Adjunct PRObiotics as Compared to the Standard Care in Moderate Unipolar Depression Among Geriatric Patients: A Randomized Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Pilot Multi-Center Trial (PRODG).Journal of the American Geriatrics Society · 2026Trial
- Definition of treatment-resistant late-life depression: Conclusions from a European Task Force Delphi process.European psychiatry : the journal of the Association of European Psychiatrists · 2026Article
- The Role of Exosomes in the Regulation of Molecular Mechanisms Underlying Treatment Resistance-Linking Cellular Crosstalk to Clinical Implications in Depression.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026Review
- Factors associated with one-year mortality after hip fracture in people older than 85 years in Northern Sweden.European geriatric medicine · 2026Article
- Examining individual serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors and fall-related hospitalizations in older adults.The mental health clinician · 2026Article
- Drug-Induced Orthostatic Hypotension in UK Primary Care: A Self-Controlled Case Series Study.Clinical epidemiology · 2026Article
- Personalizing Antidepressant Therapy: Integrating Pharmacogenomics, Therapeutic Drug Monitoring, and Digital Tools for Improved Depression Outcomes.Journal of personalized medicine · 2025Review
- Association Between Prehip Fracture Antidepressant Use and Posthip Fracture Length of Hospital Stay in Medicare Beneficiaries and Assessing Sex Differences.The American journal of geriatric psychiatry : official journal of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry · 2025Article
- Influence of Ageing on the Pharmacodynamics and Pharmacokinetics of Chronically Administered Medicines in Geriatric Patients: A Review.Clinical pharmacokinetics · 2025Review
- A real-world analysis of antidepressant medications in US veterans aged 60 years and older: a comparative analysis.Journal of comparative effectiveness research · 2025Article
- Challenges and Opportunities in Managing Geriatric Depression: The Role of Personalized Medicine and Age-Appropriate Therapeutic Approaches.Pharmaceutics · 2024Review
- A narrative review: suicide and suicidal behaviour in older adults.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2024Review
- Pharmacological and Non-Pharmacological Treatments for Depression in Parkinson's Disease: An Updated Review.Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) · 2023Review
- Effects on Sleep Quality of Physical Exercise Programs in Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Clocks & sleep · 2023Review
- Late-life depression: Epidemiology, phenotype, pathogenesis and treatment before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2023Review
- Effectiveness of the Program to Encourage Active, Rewarding Lives (PEARLS) to reduce depression: a multi-state evaluation.Frontiers in public health · 2023Article
- Discontinuation of Antidepressants in Older Adults: A Literature Review.Therapeutics and clinical risk management · 2023Review
- Characterizing Heterogeneity in Neuroimaging, Cognition, Clinical Symptoms, and Genetics Among Patients With Late-Life Depression.JAMA psychiatry · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundDepression is one of the leading causes of the global burden of disease, and it has particularly negative consequences for elderly patients. Antidepressants are the most frequently used treatment. We present the first single-group meta-analysis examining: 1) the response rates of elderly patients to antidepressants, and 2) the determinants of antidepressants response in this population.
methodsWe searched multiple databases for randomized controlled trials on antidepressants in the elderly with major depressive disorder above 65 years (last search: December 2017). Response was defined as 50% improvement on validated rating scales. We extracted response rates from studies and imputed the missing ones with a validated method. Data were pooled in a single-group meta-analysis. Additionally, several potential moderators of response to antidepressants were examined by subgroup and meta-regression analyses.
resultsWe included 44 studies with a total of 6373 participants receiving antidepressants. On average, 50.7% of the patients reached a reduction of at least 50% on the Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD). Subgroup and meta-regression analyses revealed a better response to treatment for patients in antidepressant-controlled trials compared to placebo-controlled trials. Mean age, study duration, percentage of woman, severity of illness at baseline, dose of antidepressants in fluoxetine equivalents, year of publication, setting (in- or out-patients), antidepressant groups (SSRI, TCA, SSNRI, α2-antagonist, SNRI, MAO-inhibitor), ITT (intention-to-treat) analysis vs completer analysis, sponsorship and overall risk of bias were not significant moderators of response.
conclusionsOur findings suggest an improvement in symptoms can be found in about 50% of the elderly with major depressive disorder treated with antidepressants.
Indexed as
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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.