Sedating Antidepressant Improves Driving Safety in Patients With Major Depressive Disorder

Summary

This concurrent, two-part study will: I) Using overnight sleep recordings, evaluate the short- and long-term sleep-promoting effects of the antidepressant mirtazapine (Remeron) in patients who have been prescribed this medication for major depressive disorder and sleep disruption. II) Investigate the psychomotor performance of depressed patients using driving simulation testing before and during treatment with mitrazapine.

Timeline

Start

2003-04

Primary completion

—

Completion

2004-06

Publications

• Background Bulmash EL, Moller HJ, Kayumov L, Shen J, Wang X, Shapiro CM. Psychomotor disturbance in depression: assessment using a driving simulator paradigm. J Affect Disord. 2006 Jul;93(1-3):213-8. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2006.01.015. Epub 2006 Mar 7.
• Results Shen J, Chung SA, Kayumov L, Moller H, Hossain N, Wang X, Deb P, Sun F, Huang X, Novak M, Appleton D, Shapiro CM. Polysomnographic and symptomatological analyses of major depressive disorder patients treated with mirtazapine. Can J Psychiatry. 2006 Jan;51(1):27-34. doi: 10.1177/070674370605100106.
• Shen J, Moller HJ, Wang X, Chung SA, Shapiro GK, Li X, Shapiro CM. Mirtazapine, a sedating antidepressant, and improved driving safety in patients with major depressive disorder: a prospective, randomized trial of 28 patients. J Clin Psychiatry. 2009 Mar;70(3):370-7. doi: 10.4088/jcp.08m04234. Epub 2009 Jan 13.

Drugs

Indications