Verbal Behaviour Changes with Depression Treatment *

Abstract

Imipramine, amitriptyline and their two desmethylated analogues were compared to a placebo and to each other in terms of serial changes in molecular structure over a four-week treatment period in a double-blind design. Twelve acutely depressed patients were randomly assigned to each drug and to the placebo group. Clinical psychiatric ratings and a measure of verbal responsiveness to selective reinforcement in interviews both showed the active drugs to produce greater change than the placebo. Suggestive differences between the drugs favoured the imipramine-desmethylimipramine series over the amitriptyline-nortriptyline, while desmethylation also appeared to favour the change with treatment towards increased interpersonal responsiveness.