Yoshimura 2007.

Methods	Eight‐week, randomised study.
Participants	In‐ or out‐patients who met the DSM‐IV‐TR criteria for major depressive disorder (MDD) without psychotic features and who scored at least 16 on the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HDRS). Fifteen patients were male and 27 were female. The age of the participants ranged from 28 to 74 years old.
Interventions	Paroxetine: 21 participants. Milnacipran: 21 participants. Paroxetine dose range: 10‐40 mg/day (mean: 31; SD: 13). Milnacipran dose range: 25‐150 mg/day (mean 83; SD: 31).
Outcomes	Serum brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF); HDRS.
Notes	Sponsorship bias cannot be ruled out.
Risk of bias
Bias	Authors' judgement	Support for judgement
Random sequence generation (selection bias)	Low risk	Quote: "the patients were randomly divided into either a paroxetine group or a milnacipran group using StatView, a computerized statistical package".
Allocation concealment (selection bias)	Unclear risk	No information provided.
Blinding of participants and personnel (performance bias) All outcomes	Unclear risk	No information provided.
Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias) All outcomes	Unclear risk	No information provided.
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) All outcomes	Unclear risk	No information on incomplete outcome data management.
Selective reporting (reporting bias)	Low risk	Outcomes data were reported.
Other bias	Unclear risk	Sponsorship bias cannot be ruled out.