Some statistically significant differences between citalopram and other antidepressants for the acute phase treatment of major depression were found in terms of efficacy , tolerability and acceptability .
Citalopram was more efficacious than paroxetine and reboxetine and more acceptable than tricyclics , reboxetine and venlafaxine , however , it seemed to be less efficacious than escitalopram .
BACKGROUND Recent US and UK clinical practice guidelines recommend that second-generation antidepressants should be considered amongst the best first-line options when drug therapy is indicated for a depressive episode .
Systematic review s have already highlighted some differences in efficacy between second-generation antidepressants .
Citalopram , one of the first selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors ( SSRI ) introduced in the market , is one of these antidepressant drugs that clinicians use for routine depression care .
OBJECTIVES To assess the evidence for the efficacy , acceptability and tolerability of citalopram in comparison with tricyclics , heterocyclics , other SSRIs and other conventional and non-conventional antidepressants in the acute-phase treatment of major depression .
Fixed-dose trial of the single isomer SSRI escitalopram in depressed outpatients.
BACKGROUND Escitalopram is the single isomer responsible for the serotonin reuptake inhibition produced by the racemic antidepressant citalopram . The present r and omized , double-blind , placebo-controlled , fixed-dose multicenter trial was design ed to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of escitalopram in the treatment of major depressive disorder . METHOD Out patients with an ongoing DSM-IV major depressive episode ( N = 491 ) were r and omly assigned to placebo , escitalopram , 10 mg/day , escitalopram , 20 mg/day , or citalopram , 40 mg/day , and entered an 8-week double-blind treatment period following a 1-week single-blind placebo lead-in . Clinical response was evaluated by the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale ( MADRS ) , the 24-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression ( HAM-D ) , the Clinical Global Impressions ( CGI ) scales , the Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety ( HAM-A ) , and patient-rated quality -of-life scales . RESULTS Escitalopram , at both doses , produced significant improvement at study endpoint relative to placebo on all measures of depression ; significant separation of escitalopram from placebo was observed within I week of double-blind treatment . Citalopram treatment also significantly improved depressive symptomatology compared with placebo ; however , escitalopram , 10 mg/day , was at least as effective as citalopram , 40 mg/day , at endpoint . Anxiety symptoms and quality of life were also significantly improved by escitalopram compared with placebo . The incidence of discontinuations due to adverse events for the escitalopram 10 mg/day group was not different from the placebo group ( 4.2 % vs. 2.5 % ; p = .50 ) , and not different for the escitalopram 20 mg/day group and the citalopram 40 mg/day group ( 10.4 % vs. 8.8 % ; p = .83 ) . CONCLUSION Escitalopram , a single isomer SSRI , is well-tolerated and has demonstrated antidepressant efficacy at a dose of 10 mg/day
Some statistically significant differences between citalopram and other antidepressants for the acute phase treatment of major depression were found in terms of efficacy , tolerability and acceptability .
Citalopram was more efficacious than paroxetine and reboxetine and more acceptable than tricyclics , reboxetine and venlafaxine , however , it seemed to be less efficacious than escitalopram .
BACKGROUND Recent US and UK clinical practice guidelines recommend that second-generation antidepressants should be considered amongst the best first-line options when drug therapy is indicated for a depressive episode .
Systematic review s have already highlighted some differences in efficacy between second-generation antidepressants .
Citalopram , one of the first selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors ( SSRI ) introduced in the market , is one of these antidepressant drugs that clinicians use for routine depression care .
OBJECTIVES To assess the evidence for the efficacy , acceptability and tolerability of citalopram in comparison with tricyclics , heterocyclics , other SSRIs and other conventional and non-conventional antidepressants in the acute-phase treatment of major depression .