Does lorazepam impair the antidepressant response to nortriptyline and psychotherapy?
GROUND: This analysis sought to determine whether lorazepam influences time to response or rate of response in elderly depressed patients receiving nortriptyline and psychotherapy and to examine clinical and polysomnographic correlates of lorazepam treatment. METHOD: Patients with recurrent major depressive disorder (N = 119; mean +/- SD age = 68.0 +/- 6.1 years; diagnosis defined by Research Diagnostic Criteria) received acute treatment with nortriptyline and interpersonal psychotherapy. Thirty-five patients received open-label adjunctive lorazepam for anxiety or insomnia symptoms (LZ+) and 84 did not. Statistical analyses were conducted between the LZ+ group and a group of 35 patients who received no lorazepam (LZ-) and were matched for anxiety level. Patients had polysomnographic studies prior to treatment and after remission of depressive symptoms. RESULTS: The LZ+ group reported more anxiety on the Brief Symptom Inventory (p = .04) compared with the remaining 84 patients. The LZ+
