title: Citalopram in children and adolescents with depression or anxiety.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the efficacy and tolerability of citalopram in children and adolescents.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective chart review of 17 outpatients treated with citalopram at a tertiary care center. Subjects were diagnosed with a depressive or anxiety disorder with or without comorbidities and may have received concurrent medications. The primary outcome measure was the Clinical Global Impression Improvement Scale (CGI-I). Secondary outcome measures were the Children's Depression Rating Scale-Revised (CDRS-R), Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology, and Screen for Child Anxiety-Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED). Adverse effects were assessed via chart documentation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients were treated with a mean citalopram dose of 22.4 +/- 7.3 mg for 12 weeks. Thirteen patients (76%) had CGI-I scores </=2: 8 of 12 patients with depression and 5 of 5 patients with an anxiety disorder. The mean time to response was 7.6 +/- 3.6 weeks. Additionally, 6 of 8 patients had >/=50% reduction from baseline CDRS-R score, with 3 patients (38%) meeting criteria for remission. Three of 4 patients had a >50% reduction for baseline SCARED-parent score. Overall, adverse effects appeared minor and transient. One patient discontinued citalopram due to intolerable adverse effects, and 1 patient required dose reduction.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Citalopram appears to be effective and well tolerated in this group of children and adolescents with depressive or anxiety disorders and a high degree of comorbidity. Controlled studies in this patient population are indicated.
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmacy, University of Texas, Texas Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation, Austin, USA.
authors.forename: Jennifer L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Baumgartner
authors.forename: Graham J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Emslie
authors.forename: M Lynn
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Crismon
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D018687:Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001007:Anxiety / Q000145:classification / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002648:Child; D015283:Citalopram / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015897:Comorbidity; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000145:classification / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D018687:Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation; D015283:Citalopram