Study designs of evaluations included in the review
Studies were included if they were randomised and placebo-controlled.
Specific interventions included in the review
Studies were included if at least one group received an antidepressant medication. The interventions in the included studies were: amitriptyline (25 mg three times daily, or 150 mg once daily), atropine (0.2 mg/day), desipramine (3 mg/kg, schedule not given), doxepine (300 mg/day; or 3 mg/kg, schedule not given), imipramine (150 mg/day), maprotiline (150 mg/day), nortriptyline (100 mg/day), paroxetine (20 to 30 mg/day), trazodone (100 mg four times daily). These were compared with another antidepressant drug, with an inert placebo, or with an active placebo or another drug (diphenhydramine, 37.5 mg on alternative nights).
Participants included in the review
Studies were included if they investigated patients who had had low back discomfort for at least 2 months. All of the studies included patients with chronic back pain; one study also included patients with acute back pain, while another included patients with cervical spine pain. Some studies included only patients with and/or without mood disorders.
Outcomes assessed in the review
Studies were included if they assessed measurable outcomes. The primary outcomes assessed in the included studies were pain severity and activities of daily living (ADL).
How were decisions on the relevance of primary studies made?
The authors did not state how the papers were selected for the review, or how many reviewers performed the selection.