AIM: To determine the therapeutic efficacy and adverse effects of triiodothyronine (T3) as a supplement to the treatment of bipolar depression (BPD) with a mood stabilizer (MS) (lithium - Li, valproic acid - VPA or carbamazepine - CBZ) and the specific serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), sertraline; and as a supplement to the treatment of unipolar depression (UPD) with sertraline.
METHOD: A random assignment, double blind, placebo-controlled trial separately evaluating patients with a) BPD who are treated with MS + sertraline + T3 or MS + sertraline + placebo and b) UPD who are treated with sertraline + T3 or sertraline + placebo, for up to 8 weeks in both cases. The design of the trial will permit both the outcome of treatment and the speed of response to be evaluated.
