Comparative Effects of Sertraline and Nortriptyline on Body Sway in Older Depressed Patients

The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry : Official Journal of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry
F Laghrissi-ThodeD J Kupfer

Abstract

This study examined effects of nortriptyline and sertraline on the balance and stability of depressed geriatric inpatients. Body sway was measured with a stable force-platform at three timepoints: before starting antidepressant medication, 5-7 days after medication was initiated, and 1 week later. A group of healthy, unmedicated older volunteers was evaluated under the same conditions as patients. In sertraline-treated patients (n = 10), significant differences (P < 0.05) between baseline and the first week of treatment were found in the force-platform measurements of sway length (L) and area of the center of pressure (Ao), with patients' eyes both open and closed. This change in postural stability occurred in the absence of orthostatic hypotension. By the second week of treatment, neither variable was found to be significantly different from baseline. In the nonmedicated volunteers (n = 20) and in the group of patients receiving nortriptyline (n = 11), no significant changes in postural stability were found.

Citations

Sep 6, 2013·Drugs & Aging·Maartje H de GrootClaudine J C Lamoth
Jun 26, 2009·Drugs & Aging·Adam DarowskiDavid J Chambers
Sep 24, 1998·The New England Journal of Medicine·P B ThapaW A Ray
Nov 21, 2018·Journal of Biomechanics·Gu Eon KangM Melissa Gross

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