Table 2.
Essential pharmacological treatment history across the included cases.
| Current MDE | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BD (any), n = 53 | MDD, n = 78 | ||||
| TRBD or not | TRD or not | ||||
| Not resistant = 38 | TR(B)De = 15 | Not resistant = 58 | TRD = 20 | ||
| Data expressed as “n (%)” | |||||
| Currently on antidepressant(s) | 31 (81.59) | 13 (86.67) | 37 (63.79) | 18 (90) | |
| Currently on SGA(s) | 21 (55.26) | 6 (40) | 1 (1.72) | 12 (60) | |
| Currently on lithium | 13 (34.21) | 11 (73.33) | 4 (6.89) | 10 (50) | |
| Currently on FGA(s) | 6 (15.79) | 4 (26.67) | 6 (10.34) | 3 (15) | |
| Currently on mood stabilizer(s) other than lithium | 22 (57.89) | 8 (53.33) | 10 (17.24) | 5 (25) | |
| Currently on aripiprazole | 3 (7.89) | 4 (26.67) | 0 | 2 (10) | |
| Currently on asenapine | 4 (10.53) | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Currently on brexpiprazole | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Currently on cariprazine | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Currently on clozapine | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Currently on lurasidone | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Currently on olanzapine | 4 (10.53) | 2 (13.33) | 0 | 2 (10) | |
| Currently on paliperidone | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Currently on quetiapine | 9 (23.68) | 0 | 1 (1.72) | 7 (35) | |
| Currently on risperidone | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Currently on ziprasidone | 1 (2.63) | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Lifetime exposure to MOAI(s) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 (5) | |
| Lifetime exposure to carbamazepine | 9 (23.68) | 3 (20) | 0 | 4 (20) | |
| Lifetime exposure to SGA | 26 (68.42) | 12 (80) | 7 (12.07)) | 16 (80) | |
| Lifetime exposure to TCA | 17 (44.74) | 8 (53.33) | 10 (17.24) | 8 (40) | |
| Lifetime exposure to valproate | 25 (65.79) | 10 (66.67) | 12 (20.69) | 9 (45) | |
| Lifetime exposure to lithium | 11 (28.95) | 9 (60) | 4 (6.89) | 12 (60) | |
| Lifetime psychotropic polypharmacy (four or more psychotropic drugs at once) | 23 (60.53) | 7 (46.67) | 4 (6.89) | 13 (65) | |
MDE, major depressive episode; MDD, major depressive disorder; BD, bipolar disorder; SGA, second-generation antipsychotic; FGA, first-generation antipsychotic; TCA, tricyclic antidepressant; MAOI, monoamine oxidase inhibitor; TRD, treatment-resistant depression; TRBD, treatment-resistant bipolar depression.
TRD = treatment resistant depression was defined as failure to respond to at least two adequate trials with antidepressant drugs. TRBD = treatment resistant bipolar depression was defined as lack of response to treatment to at least two previous established treatments for bipolar depression (e.g. olanzapine/fluoxetine combination, brexpiprazole, cariprazine, quetiapine, aripiprazole). Most of the bipolar depressed patients were currently in receipt of at least one mood stabilizer drug plus an antidepressant due to the high frequency of comorbid conditions, tough the antidepressant would not represent the established treatment for bipolar depression.