CONCLUSIONS The effects of treatment with clomipramine and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors ( SSRIs : fluvoxamine , sertraline , fluoxetine , citalopram , and escitalopram ) proved to be similar , except for the lower adherence rate in case of clomipramine because of its side effects .
PURPOSE This systematic review examines the efficacy of pharmacological therapy for obsessive-compulsive disorder ( OCD ) , addressing two major issues : which treatment is most effective in treating the patient 's symptoms and which is beneficial for maintaining remission .
Escitalopram prevents relapse of obsessive-compulsive disorder
To examine the efficacy and tolerability of escitalopram in the prevention of relapse in patients with OCD , 468 patients with OCD were treated with open label escitalopram ( 10 mg or 20 mg ) for 16 weeks , after which the 320 responders ( Y-BOCS total score decrease > or = 25 % ) were r and omised to placebo or escitalopram ( at the assigned dose ) for 24 weeks double-blind treatment . The primary analysis ( time to relapse ) showed a significant advantage for escitalopram ( p<0.001 , log-rank test ) . The proportion of patients who relapsed was statistically significantly higher in the placebo group ( 52 % ) than in the escitalopram group ( 23 % ) ( p<0.001 , chi(2)-test ) . The risk of relapse was 2.74 times higher for placebo compared to escitalopram . Escitalopram was well tolerated and improvements in obsessive-compulsive symptoms reported during the open label period were sustained during the double-blind extension of treatment with active drug . These results demonstrate that escitalopram is effective for long-term treatment and relapse prevention in OCD
CONCLUSIONS The effects of treatment with clomipramine and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors ( SSRIs : fluvoxamine , sertraline , fluoxetine , citalopram , and escitalopram ) proved to be similar , except for the lower adherence rate in case of clomipramine because of its side effects .
PURPOSE This systematic review examines the efficacy of pharmacological therapy for obsessive-compulsive disorder ( OCD ) , addressing two major issues : which treatment is most effective in treating the patient 's symptoms and which is beneficial for maintaining remission .