This study was designed to compare the effects of fluoxetine and imipramine on fasting blood glucose (FBG) in patients with major depressive disorder. Sixty nondiabetic patients with major depressive disorder (based on Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition criteria) entered this randomized, double-blind study. Patients did not receive any medication affecting serum FBG levels for at least 2 weeks before the initiation of the study. Patients were assigned to receive 20 to 40 mg/d of fluoxetine or 75 to 200 mg/d of imipramine for 8 weeks. Pregnant women and patients with diabetes mellitus and a history of any major heart disease were excluded from this study. Additionally, none of the patients should have received electroconvulsive therapy within 6 months before the initiation of the antidepressants. FBG levels were measured at the initiation, as well as 4 and 8 weeks after starting antidepressants. Nineteen patients in the fluoxetine and 24 patients in the imipramine groups completed the study. In the fluoxetine group, FBG level was decreased from 88.5 mg/dL (baseline) to 85.0 mg/dL at week 4 (P = 0.73), and to 79.8 mg/dL at week 8 (P < 0.001). On the other hand, in the imipramine group, FBG level was increased from 86.96 mg/dL (baseline) to 89.71 mg/dL at week 4 (P = 0.079), and to 96.90 mg/dL at week 8 (P < 0.001). This 8-week study showed that FBG levels may decrease in depressive patients receiving fluoxetine and may increase in those patients treated with imipramine. Therefore, it is suggested to measure and monitor FBG before initiation and during treatment with fluoxetine and imipramine.

The aim of this project was a two fold; one was to compare the olfactory identification ability in patients with schizophrenia or schizotypy with that of the patients with mood disorders as well as the normal subjects; the other was to assess any possible changes after treatment in olfactory identification ability in patients with schizophrenia.The subjects of the study comprised 22 patients afflicted with schizophrenia and five with schizotypy (mean age of 41 years old), 28 patients with mood disorders (13 with major depressive and 14 with bipolar disorders with the mean age of 39 years old), and finally 27 normal subjects (mean age of 39 years old). All subjects were assessed initially and the patients with schizophrenia were assessed twice more three and six weeks after the commencement of treatment with the University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test (UPSIT). The data were analyzed by Kruskal- Wallis, Chi- square, Mann-Whitney, and Freedman tests.A significant difference was found between patients with schizophrenia and schizotypy with normal subjects in olfactory identification ability. There was not any significant difference between other groups on this matter. No significant changes in olfactory identification ability were detected in schizophrenic patients after 3 and 6 weeks of treatment.Deficit in olfactory identification ability of patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders, and its persistence despite treatment is testimonial to its trait-like characteristic in such disorders.