Efficacy and Safety of Adjunctive Serotonin-Dopamine Activity Modulators in Major Depression: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
Abstract
Serotonin-dopamine activity modulators (SDAMs) have been approved as an adjunctive treatment to antidepressants in patients with inadequate response. These drugs have been proposed to have a beneficial effect on cognition, sleep-related problems, and other affective symptoms in patients with depression. Previous studies have shown inconsistent evidence and have not reported a pooled effect of the 2 drugs of this class: aripiprazole and brexpiprazole. This meta-analysis evaluated the effect of augmentation with SDAM drugs in patients with major depression. The meta-analysis protocol was made as per Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis Protocol guidelines and registered in the International Prospective Register of Ongoing Systematic Reviews. The PubMed/MEDLINE, Cochrane Clinical Trial registry, and EudraCT databases were searched with prespecified search terms. A random-effects meta-analysis was performed using the meta package in R software. Fifteen studies were included in this meta-analysis. The random-effects model analysis observed a pooled effect of 1.55 (95%CI, 1.32-1.84; prediction interval, 0.95-2.55, z = 5.19 [P < .0001]) for remission between the SDAM and placebo groups. A pooled effect of 1.58 (95%CI, 1.37-1.83; prediction interval, 1.00-2.51, z = 6.34 [P < .0001]) for adverse events and 0.72 (95%CI, 0.48-1.08; prediction interval, 0.46-1.12; z = -1.58 [P = .113]) for serious adverse events was observed. No significant publication bias…
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a meta-analysis, done in people. Its evidence level is 1 of 5 (Highest · pooled evidence). Pooled evidence from several studies sits at the top of the evidence pyramid.
Read the paper
Related studies
- Comparison of the Effects of Glucagon-Like Peptide Receptor Agonists and Sodium-Glucose Cotransporter 2 Inhibitors for Prevention of Major Adverse Cardiovascular and Renal Outcomes in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Cardiovascular Outcomes Trials
- Efficacy of personalized psychological interventions: A systematic review and meta-analysis
- Effects of Lifestyle Interventions That Include a Physical Activity Component in Class II and III Obese Individuals: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
- Blood pressure lowering and risk of new-onset type 2 diabetes: an individual participant data meta-analysis
- Topical treatments for atopic dermatitis (eczema): systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomized trials
- Comparative efficacy and tolerability of pharmacological interventions for acute bipolar depression in adults: a systematic review and network meta-analysis
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.