Table 2.
Quality Scores, Drug Side Effects, and Assessment of Depression for 13 Trials Included in the Meta-analysis
| Study, y | Quality Score (0–8) | Quality Problems | Drug Side Effects | Depression Scale Findings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carrette, 1986 | 6 | Randomization scheme not stated | Drowsiness and dry mouth (not quantified) | None |
| Bibolotti, 1986 | 5 | Randomization scheme not stated No method of assessing adverse effects Large loss to follow-up (51%) | Gastrointestinal, asthenia, headache, vertigo, tachycardia (% not given) | HDRS No analysis between symptoms and depression response |
| Tavoni, 1987 | 1 | Randomization scheme not stated Effectiveness of blinding not clear No description of withdrawals No description of exclusion criteria No method to assess adverse effects | Not assessed | HDRS “Good correlation” between depression scores and trigger points |
| Scudds, 1989 | 4 | Randomization scheme not described Inclusion criteria not defined No method to assess adverse effects | Not assessed | None |
| Jacobsen, 1991 | 4 | Randomization scheme not described No description of withdrawals No description of method to assess adverse effects | Gastrointestinal (32% active 14% placebo) | BDI No correlation between symptom and depression response |
| Carrette, 1994 | 5 | Effectiveness of blinding not clear Large losses to follow-up (25%) | Somnolence (5% active, 2.4% placebo) | MMPI, AIMS No correlation between symptom and depression response |
| Wolfe, 1994 | 4 | Randomization scheme not stated Effectiveness of blinding not clear No intention-to-treat analysis (12% follow up losses) Large losses to follow-up (43%) | Nausea (29% active, 33% placebo); headache (9% active, 0% placebo) | BDI, AIMS No correlation |
| Carrette, 1995 | 7 | Method of assessing adverse effects not described | Not assessed | None |
| Norregaard, 1995 | 6 | Randomization scheme not stated Large loss to follow-up (23%) | Headache (24% active, 24% placebo); dry mouth (5% active, 10% placebo) | BDI No analysis reported |
| Ginsburg, 1996 | 6 | Randomization scheme not stated | Dry mouth, vertigo, neuropsychic, gastrointestinal (29% active, 0% placebo) | None |
| Goldenberg, 1996 | 8 | Not reported | BDI, HDRS No correlation | |
| Kempenaers, 1994 | 7 | Randomization scheme not stated Large losses to follow-up (35%) No intention-to-treat analysis | Not reported | Research Diagnostic Criteria Not assessed |
| Hannonen, 1998 | 8 | Large losses to follow-up (29%) No intention-to-treat analysis | Not reported | Scid-Ro (depressed patients excluded) |
HDRS indicates Hamilton Depression Rating Scale; BDI, Beck Depression Inventory; MMPI, Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory; AIMS, Arthritis Impact Measurement Scale; SCID-Ro, Structured Clinical Interview for DSM III-R disorders.