Comparison of Hamilton Depression Rating Scale and Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale: Baked Straight From a Randomized Study

Background and objectives: The symptoms of major depressive disorder (MDD) are nowadays being assessed with the Hamilton and Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scales. However, there are few studies on the comparison of these two scales. Our study aimed to determine the correlation between the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) and Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) scores at baseline through 12 weeks. Methods: An ongoing randomized, open-label, three-arm study's interim analysis is portrayed here. The participants were assessed with HDRS and MADRS at baseline, four, eight, and 12 weeks after receiving oral tablets of either vilazodone (20-40 mg/d), escitalopram (10-20 mg/d), or vortioxetine (5-20 mg/d). This study is prospectively registered with the Clinical Trial Registry, India (CTRI/2022/07/043808). Results: Of 71 recruited individuals, 49 (69%) completed the 12-week visit. At baseline, the three groups' median HDRS scores were 30.0, 29.5, and 29.0 (p=0.76), and at 12 weeks, they reduced to 19.5, 19.5, and 18.0 (p=0.18). At baseline, the group-wise median MADRS scores were 36, 36, and 36 (p=0.79); at 12 weeks, they were 24, 24, and 23 (p=0.03). The Pearson correlation revealed that the association between the changes in scores from baseline was strongest for escitalopram (r=0.70, p=0.002) followed by vortioxetine (r=0.59, p=0.01) and vilazodone (r=0.59, p=0.02). The Bland-Altman analysis showed that the mean difference between the scores was 5.11 (95% CI: 3.08-7.14). Conclusion: According to this interim study, HDRS and MADRS scores declined after 12 weeks of therapy. Both scores had strong positive correlation, and the difference between the scores reduced with time.