Multivariate meta-analysis of controlled drug studies for obsessive-compulsive disorder

摘要: Meta-analytic reviews of placebo-controlled studies for obsessive-compulsive disorder have found that clomipramine is more effective than drugs with selective actions on serotonin reuptake, whereas in most direct comparisons, clomipramine's superiority has been less obvious. The authors used metaregression to identify sources he-terogeneity trials clomipramine, fluvoxamine, sertraline, and paroxetine. They evaluated such patient characteristics as age, gender, age (OCD) onset, baseline severity OCD depression, study exclusion or inclusion criteria, length single-blind prerandomization period, trial, number subjects, publication year. We considerable heterogeneity across was associated, part, year, patients' OCD. apparent persisted after controlling these factors. also confirmed previous reports placebo response higher recent studies. Meta-analyses can help characterize responders nonresponders. urge investigators provide summaries characteristics, especially severity, at duration OCD, by response.