Early response to desipramine among women with bulimia nervosa.

OBJECTIVE: Numerous trials have demonstrated the efficacy of antidepressant medications for the treatment of bulimia nervosa (BN). The current study examined whether early response to medication predicted response to medication at the end of a controlled trial.

METHOD: Data from two previously published studies of desipramine (DMI) were used. Seventy-seven patients with BN were included in the analysis. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were constructed to examine the relation between the percentage reduction in symptoms at each week and failure to respond to antidepressant medication at the end of the trial.

RESULTS: Eventual nonresponders to DMI could be reliably identified in the first 2 weeks of treatment.

CONCLUSION: The current study provides preliminary evidence that patients with BN who will not respond to antidepressant medication can be identified in the first 2 weeks of treatment.