BACKGROUND: The highly recurrent nature of major depression in the young and the elderly warrants long-term antidepressant treatment. AIMS: To compare the prophylactic efficacy of citalopram and placebo in elderly patients; to evaluate long-term tolerability of citalopram. METHOD: Out-patients, > or =65 years, with unipolar major depression (DSM-IV: 296.2 x or 296.3 x) and Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale score > or =22 were treated with citalopram 20-40 mg for 8 weeks. Responders continued on their final fixed dose of citalopram for 16 weeks before randomisation to double-blind treatment with citalopram or placebo for at least 48 weeks. RESULTS:Nineteen of the 60 patients using citalopram v. 41 of the 61 patients usingplacebo had recurrence. Time to recurrence was significantly different between citalopram- and placebo-patients, in favour of citalopram (log-rank test, P<0.0001). Long-term treatment was well tolerated. CONCLUSIONS: Long-term treatment with citalopram is effective in preventing recurrence of depression in the elderly and is well tolerated.
RCT Entities:
BACKGROUND: The highly recurrent nature of major depression in the young and the elderly warrants long-term antidepressant treatment. AIMS: To compare the prophylactic efficacy of citalopram and placebo in elderly patients; to evaluate long-term tolerability of citalopram. METHOD: Out-patients, > or =65 years, with unipolar major depression (DSM-IV: 296.2 x or 296.3 x) and Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale score > or =22 were treated with citalopram 20-40 mg for 8 weeks. Responders continued on their final fixed dose of citalopram for 16 weeks before randomisation to double-blind treatment with citalopram or placebo for at least 48 weeks. RESULTS: Nineteen of the 60 patients using citalopram v. 41 of the 61 patients using placebo had recurrence. Time to recurrence was significantly different between citalopram- and placebo-patients, in favour of citalopram (log-rank test, P<0.0001). Long-term treatment was well tolerated. CONCLUSIONS: Long-term treatment with citalopram is effective in preventing recurrence of depression in the elderly and is well tolerated.
Authors: Anthony J Rothschild; Boadie W Dunlop; David L Dunner; Edward S Friedman; Alan Gelenberg; Peter Holland; James H Kocsis; Susan G Kornstein; Richard Shelton; Madhukar H Trivedi; John M Zajecka; Corey Goldstein; Michael E Thase; Ron Pedersen; Martin B Keller Journal: Psychopharmacol Bull Date: 2009