Citalopram for Agitation in Alzheimer's Disease — CitAD  

Alzheimer's Disease Clinical Trial

Official title: A Multi-Center Randomized Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial Study of Citalopram for the Treatment of Agitation in Alzheimer's Disease

Status Completed

Clinical Trial Summary

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the safety and efficacy of citalopram for agitation in Alzheimer's dementia.

Clinical Trial Description

This study is designed to examine the efficacy and safety of citalopram as treatment for clinically significant agitation in Alzheimer's dementia (AD) patients. It will also investigate pharmacogenomic, genetic, and clinical predictors of response to citalopram therapy. The management of agitation is a major priority in treating patients with AD. Non-pharmacologic options have limited effectiveness. Several pharmacologic options have been explored, but findings for anticonvulsants, antipsychotics, and cholinesterase inhibitors are disappointing or associated with questionable risk-benefit ratio. Better pharmacologic options are needed. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) show promise as a treatment for agitation in AD, based on evidence of a link between agitation and brain serotonin system abnormalities in AD patients, and on preliminary clinical data from a single-site, randomized controlled trial (RCT) in which citalopram was superior to perphenazine and placebo. ;

Study Design

Allocation: Randomized, Endpoint Classification: Safety/Efficacy Study, Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment, Masking: Double Blind (Subject, Caregiver, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor), Primary Purpose: Treatment

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Agitation
• Alzheimer Disease
• Alzheimer's Disease
• Psychomotor Agitation

• NCT number: NCT00898807
• Study type: Interventional
• Source: JHSPH Center for Clinical Trials
• Status: Completed
• Phase: Phase 3
• Start date: July 2009
• Completion date: September 2013