Background: The efficacy ranking of antidepressants for post-stroke depression (PSD) has not been assessed thoroughly yet due to the lack of network meta-analyses with sufficiently large sample size.
Methods: Seven databases including PubMed, Embase, CENTRAL, CBM, CNKI, WanFang and VIP were systematically searched for eligible randomized controlled trials (RCTs) regarding nine antidepressants (citalopram, escitalopram, venlafaxine, paroxetine, duloxetine, amitriptyline, doxepin, sertraline and mirtazapine) treating PSD patients. Stata 15 software and R software were utilized for statistical analyses.
Results: 51 RCTs were included in this NMA. For the key efficacy outcomes, escitalopram, mirtazapine, sertraline, citalopram, venlafaxine and paroxetine were associated with larger reduction of the Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD) total score compared with placebo at 2 weeks. Among the nine antidepressants, escitalopram ranked the best while amitriptyline was the least helpful. At 4 weeks, citalopram ranked higher than placebo and the other eight antidepressants. In contrast, amitriptyline and doxepin were associated with minimal reduction of HAMD score. At 8 weeks, changes in HAMD score were significantly greater in nine antidepressants groups compared to placebo group. Besides, mirtazapine ranked higher than citalopram and escitalopram. At endpoint, mirtazapine was related to the highest response rate, followed by venlafaxine and escitalopram, respectively.
Limitations: No restriction was imposed on doses of every antidepressant.
Conclusions: Escitalopram was associated with a quicker relief of depression, but mirtazapine was probably the best option when it comes to the efficacy of 8-week treatment duration. Amitriptyline and doxepin were nearly the worst choice regardless of the duration (2, 4 or 8 weeks).
Keywords: Efficacy; Network meta-analysis; Nine antidepressants; Post-stroke depression.
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