title: An open-label efficacy trial of escitalopram for night eating syndrome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Night eating syndrome (NES) has become increasingly recognized as a disorder in need of effective treatments. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors have shown efficacy in previous trials, so we sought to expand our understanding of the efficacy of escitalopram in the current trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-one adults with NES participated in a 12-week open-label trial of escitalopram. Outcome measures included the Night Eating Symptom Scale (NESS), percent of daily intake after the evening meal (% intake) and number of nocturnal ingestions/week (NI), weight, total awakenings/week, mood, and quality of life. Mixed-effects models were used to assess change over time.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant reductions were observed from week 0 to week 12 for the NESS (30.2 to 15.2), % intake (46% to 17%), NI (5.8 to 1.2), weight (90.2 to 88.6 kg), awakenings (8.1 to 2.7), and BDI-II (12.1 to 7.7). Outcomes did not differ significantly by gender, age, race, or psychiatric co-morbidity status. Eighteen of 31 completed 12 weeks of treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This open-label trial of escitalopram showed significant reductions in symptoms associated with NES. Randomized controlled trials are warranted to test these findings.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT01401595.
authors.affiliation: Center for Weight and Eating Disorders, Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. kca@mail.med.upenn.edu
authors.forename: Kelly C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Allison
authors.forename: Stacia K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Studt
authors.forename: Robert I
authors.initials: RI
authors.lastname: Berkowitz
authors.forename: Louise A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Hesson
authors.forename: Reneé H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Moore
authors.forename: Jacob G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Dubroff
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Newberg
authors.forename: Albert J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Stunkard
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D021081:Chronobiology Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy*; D015283:Citalopram / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006963:Hyperphagia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D015283:Citalopram; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors