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Table 1 Summary of study methodology

From: Which placebo to cure depression? A thought-provoking network meta-analysis

 

V vs F vs P(n = 4)

V vs F (n = 8)

V vs P(n = 10)

F vs P (n = 9)

Total (n = 31)

Year

(1999, 2003, 2004, 2009)

(1994, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2007)

(1993, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2004)

(1991, 1998, 2002, 2004, 2005)

(1991, 1997, 1999, 2003, 2009)

Anxious depression (No)

3 (75%)

7 (88%)

10 (100%)

8 (89%)

28 (90%)

Study duration (weeks)

(6, 6, 8, 12)

(6, 8, 9, 12, 12)

(4, 6, 8, 11, 13)

(4, 6, 8, 12, 13)

(4, 6, 8, 12, 13)

Number of follow-up visits

(6, 7, 8, 8)

(6, 6, 7, 8, 9) (NA = 1)

(5, 6, 7, 8, 8)

(3, 8, 9, 9, 9) (NA = 1)

(3, 6, 7, 8, 9) (NA = 2)

Industry sponsorship (yes)

4 (100%)

8 (100%)

10 (100%)

8 (100%) (NA = 1)

30 (100%) (NA = 1)

Exclusion of placebo responders (yes)

4 (100%)

5 (63%)

10 (100%)

6 (75%) (NA = 1)

25 (83%) (NA = 1)

Patient type

  

(NA = 1)

(NA = 1)

(NA = 2)

 Inpatients

1 (25%)

2 (25%)

1 (11%)

1 (12.5%)

5 (17%)

 Outpatients

3 (75%)

5 (63%)

7 (78%)

6 (75%)

21 (73%)

 Outpatients in primary care

0 (0%)

1 (12%)

1 (11%)

1 (12.5%)

3 (10%)

Scale used

     

 HDRS

4 (100%)

5 (63%)

4 (40%)

8 (89%)

23 (74%)

 MADRS

0 (0%)

3 (37%)

6 (60%)

1 (11%)

8 (26%)

Type of analysis

     

 ITT with LOCF

4 (100%)

8 (100%)

10 (100%)

8 (89%)

30 (97%)

 Mixed model

0 (0%)

0 (0%)

0 (0%)

1 (11%)

1 (3%)

Initial severity (HDRS score25)

3 (75%)

5 (63%)

6 (60%)

3 (37.5%) (NA = 1)

17 (57%) (NA = 1)

  1. n, number of studies. Results are presented in (minimum, first quartile, median, third quartile, maximum) for quantitative data except for V vs F vs P where all the data are given. Qualitative data are presented as a number (percentage). NA represents the number of studies where data were unavailable.
  2. V vs F vs P: studies comparing venlafaxine to fluoxetine to placebo.
  3. V vs F: studies comparing venlafaxine to fluoxetine.
  4. V vs P: studies comparing venlafaxine to placebo.
  5. F vs P: studies comparing fluoxetine to placebo.
  6. HDRS, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale; MADRS, Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale.