Title |
Effectiveness of lithium in subjects with treatment-resistant depression and suicide risk: results and lessons of an underpowered randomised clinical trial
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Published in |
BMC Research Notes, October 2014
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DOI | 10.1186/1756-0500-7-731 |
Pubmed ID | |
Authors |
Francesca Girlanda, Andrea Cipriani, Emilia Agrimi, Maria Grazia Appino, Andrea Barichello, Rossella Beneduce, Irene Bighelli, Giulia Bisoffi, Alfredo Bisogno, Paola Bortolaso, Marianna Boso, Carmela Calandra, Liliana Cascone, Mariasole Castellazzi, Caterina Corbascio, Vincenzo Fricchione Parise, Francesco Gardellin, Daniele Gennaro, Batul Hanife, Camilla Lintas, Marina Lorusso, Antonina Luca, Maria Luca, Chiara Luchetta, Claudio Lucii, Francesca Maio, Alessandra Marsilio, Chiara Mattei, Daniele Moretti, Michela Nosè, Guglielmo Occhionero, Duccio Papanti, Damiano Pecile, Mauro Percudani, Davide Prestia, Marianna Purgato, Francesco Restaino, Salvatore Romeo, Tiziana Sciarma, Stefania Strizzolo, Stefania Tamborini, Orlando Todarello, Fiorella Tozzi, Simona Ziero, Spyridon Zotos, Corrado Barbui |
Abstract |
As lithium treatment might be effective in reducing the risk of deliberate self-harm (DSH) in adult patients with unipolar affective disorders, we designed a pragmatic randomised trial to assess its efficacy in more than 200 patients with treatment-resistant depression. However, we randomised 56 patients only. The aim of this report is therefore twofold: first, to disseminate the results of this underpowered study which may be incorporated into future meta-analytical reviews; second, to analyse some critical aspects of the study which might explain failure to reach the target sample size. |
X Demographics
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
United Kingdom | 6 | 38% |
United States | 2 | 13% |
Netherlands | 1 | 6% |
Canada | 1 | 6% |
Australia | 1 | 6% |
South Africa | 1 | 6% |
Unknown | 4 | 25% |
Demographic breakdown
Type | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Members of the public | 9 | 56% |
Scientists | 6 | 38% |
Practitioners (doctors, other healthcare professionals) | 1 | 6% |
Mendeley readers
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
United States | 1 | <1% |
Unknown | 102 | 99% |
Demographic breakdown
Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Researcher | 14 | 14% |
Student > Doctoral Student | 11 | 11% |
Student > Bachelor | 10 | 10% |
Student > Ph. D. Student | 9 | 9% |
Other | 8 | 8% |
Other | 25 | 24% |
Unknown | 26 | 25% |
Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Medicine and Dentistry | 23 | 22% |
Psychology | 22 | 21% |
Nursing and Health Professions | 6 | 6% |
Social Sciences | 5 | 5% |
Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutical Science | 3 | 3% |
Other | 10 | 10% |
Unknown | 34 | 33% |