Stimulant drugs such as Adderall may be an effective treatment for the symptoms of bipolar and unipolar depression, according to research published in the scientific journal Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica.
The study consecutively recruited 27 people diagnosed with bipolar depression and 23 people diagnosed with unipolar depression. All of these participants were considered to have treatment-resistant depression.
The participants in the study were recruited over a period of five years.
Of the 50 participants in this study, six received dexamphetamine (brand name Dexedrine) while the rest were prescribed methylphenidate (brand name Ritalin.)
30 participants used the psychostimulant in conjunction with other drug treatments with the remaining 20 participants using the psychostimulant alone as a treatment for their symptoms.
According to the authors of this study, after a 6 week to 62 month follow-up, 17 participants reported having their symptoms under complete control or significantly improved, 15 reported some level of improvement, and 18 reported no improvements.
As they note, “study findings were encouraging, with 34% of treatment-resistant patients reporting distinct improvement and 30% some level of improvement.”
Furthermore, the authors of this study explain that, “we interpret findings as supporting the role of the ‘old’ psychostimulants (especially methylphenidate) as both a monotherapy and augmenting antidepressant strategy for patients with treatment-resistant unipolar and bipolar melancholic depressions.”
Although the results of the study seem promising, as the authors of this study note, it has several significant limitations. Firstly, the study “was not placebo-controlled, compromising quantification of responder and improvement rates” and, secondly, the “follow-up was relatively brief, disallowing firm conclusions about progressive loss of efficacy, tolerance and longterm side-effects.”
Reference:
Parker, G. & Brotchie, H. (2010). Do the old psychostimulant drugs have a role in managing treatment-resistant depression? Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, Vol 121: 308–314.
