Palmitoylethanolamide as adjunctive therapy in major depressive disorder: A double-blind, randomized and placebo-controlled trial
Randomised controlled trialHumans
- Design
- Randomised controlled trial
- Subjects
- 58 patients with major depressive disorder randomised at two centres in Iran. 54 completed.
- Dose used in the study
- 600 mg twice a day, added to the antidepressant citalopram. The comparison group took placebo with citalopram.
- Duration
- 6 weeks
- What was measured
- Hamilton Depression Rating Scale scores at weeks 2, 4 and 6, and the rate of response, defined as a fall of 50% or more.
What the authors reported
Depression scores fell more in the palmitoylethanolamide group at week 2 (8.30 against 5.81 points, P = .004) and across the trial, the authors reported. Response rate was 100% against 74% on placebo (P = .01), with no difference in the frequency of side effects between groups.
Limits of this study
The authors state that the sample was small and the follow-up short, and that the sexes were unevenly distributed. All patients also took an antidepressant, so the trial tested palmitoylethanolamide as an add-on, not alone. It was funded by a grant from Tehran University of Medical Sciences.
Source
Entry checked against the abstract page at the publisher (ScienceDirect) on 2026-09-21. The dose shown is the dose the researchers used. It is not a recommendation. How to read this page.