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Effects of Magnesium Supplementation on Unipolar Depression: A Placebo-Controlled Study and Review of the Importance of Dosing and Magnesium Status in the Therapeutic Response.

Nutrients
January 1, 1970
Beata Ryszewska-Pokraśniewicz et al. (9 authors)
Journal ArticleRandomized Controlled TrialHuman StudyClinical
Extracted Claims (5)
InterventionDirectionEndpointPopulationDosageImpactClaim #
magnesium
increase
antidepressant effect
Animal studies using tests and models
-
exerts an antidepressant effect
#1
magnesium ions (120 mg/day as magnesium aspartate)
no change
Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) scores
participants with recurrent depressive disorder who developed a depressive episode
no significant differences
showed no significant differences
#2
magnesium ions (120 mg/day as magnesium aspartate)
no change
serum magnesium levels
participants with recurrent depressive disorder who developed a depressive episode
no significant differences
showed no significant differences
#3
treatment augmentation with magnesium
increase
odds of effective treatment
the whole investigated group
-
increased the odds of effective treatment
#4
treatment augmented with magnesium ions
increase
odds of remission
the whole investigated group
-
increased the odds of remission
#5
Abstract

Animal studies using tests and models have demonstrated that magnesium exerts an antidepressant effect. The literature contains few studies in humans involving attempts to augment antidepressant therapy with magnesium ions. The purpose of our study was to assess the efficacy and safety of antidepressant treatment, in combination with magnesium ions. A total of 37 participants with recurrent depressive disorder who developed a depressive episode were included in this study. As part of this double-blind study, treatment with the antidepressant fluoxetine was accompanied with either magnesium ions (120 mg/day as magnesium aspartate) or placebo. During an 8-week treatment period, each patient was monitored for any clinical abnormalities. Moreover, serum fluoxetine and magnesium levels were measured, and pharmaco-electroencephalography was performed. The fluoxetine + magnesium and fluoxetine + placebo groups showed no significant differences in either Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) scores or serum magnesium levels at any stage of treatment. Multivariate statistical analysis of the whole investigated group showed that the following parameters increased the odds of effective treatment: lower baseline HDRS scores, female gender, smoking, and treatment augmentation with magnesium. The parameters that increased the odds of remission were lower baseline HDRS scores, shorter history of disease, the presence of antidepressant-induced changes in the pharmaco-EEG profile at 6 h after treatment, and the fact of receiving treatment augmented with magnesium ions. The limitation of this study is a small sample size.

Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
AdultAffectAgedAntidepressive Agents, Second-GenerationAspartic AcidDepressive DisorderDietary SupplementsDouble-Blind MethodFemaleFluoxetineHumansMaleMiddle AgedPolandRemission InductionSelective Serotonin Reuptake InhibitorsTime FactorsTreatment OutcomeYoung Adult
Study Links
Citation Metrics
Total Citations22
Citations/Year3.1
Relative Citation Ratio1.46
NIH Percentile64.2%
Research Impact Scores
APT Score0.75
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