A pilot open-label trial of citalopram for restless activity and aberrant motor behaviors in Alzheimer disease.
OBJECTIVE
In a prospective, open-label pilot study in probable-Alzheimer disease (AD) outpatients, the authors investigated the efficacy of citalopram to reduce restless activity and aberrant motor behaviors.


METHODS
Nineteen subjects were evaluated with Neuropsychiatric Inventory subscale and total scores.


RESULTS
There was a significant decline in aberrant motor behaviors and overall behavior problems at 4, 8, and 12 weeks.


CONCLUSIONS
This study provides initial evidence that citalopram may be effective in reducing aberrant motor behaviors in AD. However, because of the potential biases of an open-label study, these findings need to be confirmed in a larger, controlled trial.
Scharre
Douglas W
DW
Division of Cognitive Neurology, Department of Neurology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA. scharre.1@osu.edu
Davis
Rebecca A
RA
Warner
Jennifer L
JL
Chang
Shu-Ing
SI
Beversdorf
David Q
DQ
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D015283:Citalopram / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011595:Psychomotor Agitation / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology*; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
D015283:Citalopram; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors