Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32750760›Full record

ArticlePsychiatry investigation2020

Efficacy of Buspirone Augmentation of Escitalopram in Patients with Major Depressive Disorder with and without Atypical Features: A Randomized, 8 Week, Multicenter, Open-Label Clinical Trial.

Cheolmin Shin, Young-Hoon Ko, Se-Hoon Shim, Ji Sun Kim, Kyoung-Sae Na, Sang-Woo Hahn, Seung-Hwan Lee

Open access · diamondAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Psychiatry investigation, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
0.3field-weighted citation impact, top 39% of its field
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 10 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Augmentation Therapy With Serotonin 5-HTNeuropsychopharmacology reports · 2025
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 5 institutions in 1 country.

Cheolmin ShinDepartment of Psychiatry, Korea University College of Medicine, Korea University Ansan Hospital, Ansan, Republic of Korea.
Young-Hoon KoDepartment of Psychiatry, Korea University College of Medicine, Korea University Ansan Hospital, Ansan, Republic of Korea.
Se-Hoon ShimDepartment of Psychiatry, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital, Cheonan, Republic of Korea.
Ji Sun KimDepartment of Psychiatry, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital, Cheonan, Republic of Korea.
Kyoung-Sae NaDepartment of Psychiatry, Gachon University College of Medicine, Gil Medical Center, Incheon, Republic of Korea.
Sang-Woo HahnDepartment of Psychiatry, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Soonchunhyang University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Seung-Hwan LeeDepartment of Psychiatry, Inje University Ilsan Paik Hospital, Goyang, Republic of Korea.
Korea University · KRSoonchunhyang University · KRGachon University · KRInje University Ilsan Paik Hospital · KRSoonchunhyang University Hospital Seoul · KR

Funding

Boryung Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.Ministry of Science and ICT 2020-0-01376
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveThis study investigated the treatment response and cognitive enhancement effects of buspirone augmentation of escitalopram in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD), according to atypical feature subtypes of MDD.

methodsAn 8 week, randomized, parallel-controlled, open-label study was conducted. The Columbia Atypical Depression Diagnostic Scale was administered to evaluate atypical features. Patients were assigned randomly to the buspirone augmentation or non-buspirone groups. Symptom severity and cognitive function were evaluated using the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale, Beck Depression Inventory, Beck Anxiety Inventory, digit span test, word fluency test, and Trail Making Tests A and B.

resultsA total of 89 patients were recruited. There were no significant differences in the measures between the groups; however, among the MDD patients without atypical features, the digit span and word fluency tests were improved by treatment. In the MDD patients without atypical features, the buspirone augmentation group showed a significant improvement on the digit span test compared to the non-buspirone group.

conclusionBuspirone augmentation did not demonstrate significant benefits in MDD patients; however, buspirone augmentation showed greater efficacy for the improvement of cognitive function in MDD patients without atypical features. Our study suggests that atypical features are an important factor for cognitive enhancement in buspirone augmentation treatment in patients with MDD.

Indexed as

Atypical featuresBuspironeDigit spanEscitalopramMajor depressive disorder

Identifiers

PMID32750760
PMCPMC7449841
OpenAlexW3047417705

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Registered trials

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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.