Four multicentre double blind trials (two studies comparing placebo to a marketed activating drug and two comparing placebo to a new drug with central adrenergic modulating properties) were pooled, totalling 77 placebo Ss, 30 reference drug Ss and 73 study drug Ss. The AMDP-4 and -5 scales were filled out at day 0 and 7 by trained raters. Four statistical analyses were performed on the pre- vs. postdrug differences: an analysis of variance, a principal components factor analysis, a discriminant analysis and a cluster analysis. The results indicate that 9 out of the 14 AMDP factor scores significantly decrease within 1 week while the factor Mania-Agitation increases, without differences between both active compounds; on the item level, the "inhibition of drive" is specifically improved by the study drug; the discriminant analysis confirms that the two most improved items are "Inhibition of drive" and "Hopelessness". Three factor scores significantly improve on placebo (Depression, Retardation, Psycho-organic Symptoms), which points to the necessity of placebo-controlled studies in clinical trials of new drugs.

Twelve patients suffering from mental anorexia were examined on clinical and biological grounds, based on the hypothesis of the functional depression of the noradrenergic track. The initial values of MHPG and of catecholamines were below normal. The quantitative results for depression and retardation were lessened significantly under beta-stimulant treatment. Only glucuro-conjugate MHPG excretion increased significantly, but the MHPG values were much lower than normal at the end of the treatment. The correlations between biochemical and behavioural parameters were worth noticing as far as the retardation scale was concerned. The present study shows the advantage of the dexamethasone suppression test and of the response of TSH under TRH.