Effects of methylphenidate in HIV-related depression: A comparative trial with desipramine.

Conducted a double-blind, comparative trial of desipramine (DMI) with methylphenidate (MPD) in 15 HIV-infected patients with depressive symptoms, randomly assigned to either drug. Differences in responses to the drugs were not significant on various measures of depression. The antidepressant effect of MPD did not occur more quickly than that of DMI. Both significantly reduced depressive symptoms over the blinded portion of treatments; both also reduced anxiety. MPD thus relieves depressive symptoms as effectively as DMI and is an alternative for patients unable to take tricyclic antidepressants. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)