Schatzberg 2006.

Methods	Eight‐week randomised, double‐blind study
Participants	Outpatients fulfilling DSM‐IV criteria for unipolar depression (single or recurrent, nonpsychotic) with a current episode of at least 4 weeks in duration; had a score of at least 20 on the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression‐21 item (HDRS‐21). Age: 65 years Exclusion criteria: bipolar disorder, psychotic disorder not related to depression, current substance abuse or substance dependence within the past year, current suicidal intent, at least 18 at the MMSE score, have received treatment with fluoxetine or venlafaxine in the past six months, electroconvulsive therapy within 3 months serious medical disease, suicidal patients, history of alcohol or substance abuse, any investigational drug or antipsychotic drug within the prior 30 days, use of astemizole, cisapride, sumatriptan, terfenadine, paroxetine, sertraline, or any monoamine oxidase inhibitor within 14 days, use of other antidepressant, anxiolytic, sedative‐hypnotic drug, or any other psychotropic drug or substance within 7 days, patients with a known hypersensitivity to venlafaxine or fluoxetine, renal or hepatic disease, seizure disorder or myocardiac infarction within the prior 6 months, and patients with a severe, acute or unstable medical illness.
Interventions	Fluoxetine: 100 participants Venlafaxine: 104 participants Placebo: 96 participants Fluoxetine dose range: 20‐60 mg/day Venlafaxine dose range: 75‐225 mg/day
Outcomes	Decrease in HDRS‐21 score, Montgomery–Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) score and Clinical Global Impression (CGI) score. Response: decrease of at least 50% HDRS score from baseline to endpoint
Notes	Funding: by industry
Risk of bias
Bias	Authors' judgement	Support for judgement
Random sequence generation (selection bias)	Unclear risk	Quote: "randomisation was by number in six‐patients unit with equal numbers of each treatment", no other information about the randomisation procedures
Allocation concealment (selection bias)	Unclear risk	No information provided
Blinding (performance bias and detection bias) All outcomes	Unclear risk	Double blind, no further information
Blinding of participants and personnel (performance bias) All outcomes	Unclear risk	Quote: "medication for each patient was packaged individually and code‐labelled with the study number and a unique patient randomisation number. Units were distributed to study sites according to the lowest available randomisation number", no further information
Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias) All outcomes	Unclear risk	Quote: "medication for each patient was packaged individually and code‐labelled with the study number and a unique patient randomisation number. Units were distributed to study sites according to the lowest available randomisation number", no further information
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) All outcomes	High risk	Number and reasons for dropout described. Number of responders is reported only in figures and in percentage. Endpoint scores not reported
Selective reporting (reporting bias)	Unclear risk	Baseline scores reported without standard deviation. Side effects reported
Other bias	High risk	Quote: "funding for this study provided by Wyeth Research", and this company produces venlafaxine