Salivation in Depressed Patients

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Abstract
Research strategies may be broadly classified as "cross-sectional" or "longitudinal." In cross-sectional studies, one group of individuals is contrasted (perhaps repeatedly, perhaps once) with another group of individuals, and any difference which emerges is attributed to a preexisting or imposed difference between the groups (e.g., Caucasian-Negro, schizophrenic-depressive, group treated with imipramine hydrochloride [Tofranil]-group treated with nialamide [Niamid], psychotic-neurotic). Longitudinal studies, on the other hand, are those in which observations are repeated on the same individual (s) over a period of time, and any difference which emerges is ascribable to events affecting the individual (e.g., maturation, sickness, psychotherapy, training). In the latter instance, individuals set their own baseline as comparison points, whereas in cross-sectional studies the baseline for comparison is usually the performance of the "other group." Each strategy has particular advantages and disadvantages, and both yield data susceptible to interpretation (or misinterpretation, as the

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