Brief Summary: This study will evaluate the effectiveness of treatment with supplemental triiodothyronine T3 Cytomel and sertraline Zoloft a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor SSRI in improving symptoms of major depressive disorder MDD
Detailed Description: The primary hypothesis is that triiodothyronine Cytomel supplementation of the antidepressant sertraline Zoloft will result in a greater improvement in HAM-D scores compared to placebo in the treatment of Major Depressive Disorder MDD
The goals of this proposal are to examine the relationship between Major Depressive Disorder MDD and abnormalities of the hypothalamic pituitary thyroid HPT axis This protocol will systematically examine the value of supplemental triiodothyronine T3 Cytomel with sertraline Zoloft a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor SSRI in the treatment of MDD The focus will be on two overlapping populations 1 those with evidence of HPT abnormalities and 2 those who did not respond to a previous adequate SSRI trial