Abstract
A double-blind study was carried out comparing the antidepressant and anxiolytic properties of clomipramine HCL (a new antidepressant) and imipramine on a group of 24 subjects suffering from psychotic depression. The patients were divided into two groups of twelve by random sampling. Clinical assessments were made by two independent psychiatrists using the Hamilton Depression Scale and the Beck Depression Inventory, and also by a psychologist using the Welsh Anxiety Index of the MMPI and IPAT scales. The assessments were carried out one day prior to treatment and on the 5th, 10th, 15th, 22nd and 44th day after treatment commenced.
Clomipramine HCL was found to be as effective as imipramine in the treatment of depression, and it also showed similar anxiolytic properties.
There were no significant changes in the laboratory tests carried out before and after the treatment program was completed in both treatment groups.