Dichotic Listening as a Predictor of Medication Response in Depression

Exclusion Criteria

• •Known hearing impairment
• •Active suicidal ideation (history of suicide attempts will be evaluated on a case by case basis)
• •Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression, 17-item version \> 20
• •Current (past six months) alcohol and/or drug abuse or dependence
• •Medical condition likely to require intervention contraindicated with study medication (e.g., known arrhythmia likely to be exacerbated by Imipramine)
• •Bipolar I
• •Psychosis
• •If currently taking antidepressants or mood stabilizers, cannot be off psychotropic medication for 7 weeks (10 weeks for Prozac) or felt to require other psychiatric medication (other than occasional sleep or Anxiety medication)
• •Premenopausal women not using known effective birth control
• •Not currently depressed (whether considered due to current treatment or not)
• •Nonresponse to adequate trial of both study medications (i.e., \> 4weeks on \> escitalopram 30 mg/d, and imipramine 200 mg/d); patients having an inadequate response to one study medication could be enrolled and receive the other; patients having responded to an adequate trial of either study medication would be offered a retrial; also excluded will be subjects having non responded to an adequate trial with citalopram (i.e., \> 4 weeks on \> citalopram 60 mg/d)
• •Left-handed