Significant difference in total effective rate (92% versus 64%; P < 0.01)
Not reported
J:1 DB:12 ROB: Unclear Unclear High High Unclear Unclear
Luo et al. 2006* [31] (Chinese) and Li et al. 2007* [32] (Chinese)
China (hospital outpatients) 6 weeks
66
Depression CCMD-3 ICD-10 TCM diagnosis HAM-D > 20 SAS and SDS > 53
Danzhi Xiaoyao Powder 12 g twice per day plus placebo (34)
MAP 25 mg per day increasing to max. 250 mg per day plus placebo (32)
HAM-D SDS SAS SERS (As above plus neuro-immuno-endocrine outcomes for Li et al. 2007 [32])
Mean reduction in HAM-D: CHM: 35.90 to 10.62 MAP: 34.16 to 8.29 (reported as: CHM: 35.59 to 11.22 MAP: 34.16 to 8.77 in Li et al. 2007 [32]) Significant reduction within both groups (), NS difference between groups
Modified Xiaoyao 9 g pill twice daily plus AMI 25–150 mg per day (32)
FLU 20–40 mg per day (32)
HAM-D Clinical assessment
Mean reduction in HAM-D: CHM + AMI 29.36 to 4.35 FLU: 30.18 to 4.18 NS difference between groups. Relapse rates lower in CHM + AMI group (3 versus 14 cases)
Modified Xiaoyao decoction plus CLOM 25–50 mg per day (53)
CLOM 75–225 mg per day (52)
HAM-D CGI-SI Clinical assessment
Mean reduction in HAM-D: CHM + CLOM: 28.48 to 7.89 CLOM: 28.22 to 7.91 Significant reduction within both groups (P < 0.01), NS difference between groups
CHM + CLOM: 9 reports CLOM: 40 reports
Significant difference (P < 0.01)
J:0 DB:15 ROB: High High High High Unclear Unclear
Free and Easy Wanderer Plus* (Jia Wei Xiao Yao San) 36 g/day in 3 doses (49)
Placebo tablets (38)
HAM-D MADRS CGI-S
Mean reduction in HAM-D: CHM: 23.6 to 8.1 Placebo: 24.0 to 13.1 Significant difference between groups ()
Most frequent: dizziness, headache NS difference
J:4 DB:23 ROB: Low Unclear Low Low Low Unclear
*Note: HAM-D scores are baseline and final mean scores. ARS: Asberg Rating Scale; CCMD: Chinese Classification of Mental Disorders; CGI-S: Clinical Global Impression-Severity scale; D and B: Downs and Black; HAM-D: Hamilton Rating Scale for depression; J: Jadad; MADRS: Montgomery-Asberg Depression Scale; NS: non-significant; SAS: Self rating Anxiety Scale; SDS: Zung’s Self rating Depression Scale; SERS: Side Effect Rating Scale; STCM: Symptom of traditional Chinese medicine; TCM: traditional Chinese medicine; TESS: Treatment Emergent Symptom Scale. Drugs: AMI: amitriptyline; CLOM: clomipramine; FLU: fluoxetine; MAP: maprotiline. *ROB (Risk of bias) was reported random sequence generation, allocation concealment, blinding of participants and personnel, blinding of outcome assessment, incomplete outcome data, selective reporting.
