The effect of nicotine patch therapy on depression in nonsmokers: a preliminary study

What Was Tested

This randomized controlled trial paper looks at Therapeutic nicotine (patch, non-peptide).

This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study examined the effect of nicotine patch therapy on depressive symptoms in non-medicated nonsmokers with current MDD.

Participants received either placebo (n = 4) or active (n = 2) patch therapy for 8 days.

Who Took Part

By PubMed's age tags, the people studied were adults and middle-aged adults, both men and women.

Due to recruitment difficulties, only 7 were enrolled and of these 6 (5 females, 1 male) completed the study.

How the Study Was Run

The design is described as randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled and pilot.

The participants were allocated by chance, so the Therapeutic nicotine (patch, non-peptide) group and the comparison group should start out alike.

Neither the participants nor the staff measuring them knew who was on Therapeutic nicotine (patch, non-peptide), so expectations could not easily colour the readings.

The comparison arm used a placebo, so changes seen with Therapeutic nicotine (patch, non-peptide) could be set against what happens without it.

It is described as a pilot, a small early test of whether a larger Therapeutic nicotine (patch, non-peptide) study would be practical.

Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD).

What Was Measured

The subject headings attached to it are Administration, Cutaneous, Depressive Disorder, Nausea, Nicotine, Pilot Projects, Psychiatric Status Rating Scales and Smoking.

What This Means in Plain Language

The paper is a randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled study of Therapeutic nicotine (patch, non-peptide).

The publication is from 2003 (Journal of addictive diseases), a journal based in England.

More context: the Therapeutic nicotine (patch, non-peptide) compound page, all human trials.