Antidepressant Treatment in Older Adults With Schizophrenia
- Registration Number
- NCT00047450
- Lead Sponsor
- Veterans Medical Research Foundation
- Brief Summary
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of citalopram (Celexa) for the treatment of depressive symptoms in middle-aged and elderly patients with schizophrenia.
- Detailed Description
Older people with schizophrenia suffer from greater physical comorbidity, cognitive impairment, and medication side effects compared to their younger counterparts. Unfortunately, little research is available to guide the treatment of subsyndromal depressive symptoms in older adults. This study will compare the antidepressant citalopram to placebo to determine the most effective treatment for reducing depressive symptoms in older patients with schizophrenia
After patients have been on stable treatment with antipsychotic medication for at least 4 weeks, they are randomly assigned to receive antipsychotic medication plus either citalopram or placebo for 3 months. Depressive symptoms and side effects are assessed weekly for the first month, biweekly for the second month, and again at the end of the third month. Cognition, motor and daily functioning, quality of life, and medication adherence are assessed throughout the study.
Recruitment & Eligibility
- Status
- COMPLETED
- Sex
- All
- Target Recruitment
- 212
- Schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder
- HAM-D score of 8 or above
- Antipsychotic medication treatment
Not provided
Study & Design
- Study Type
- INTERVENTIONAL
- Study Design
- PARALLEL
- Arm && Interventions
Group Intervention Description 1 Placebo Participants will take placebo 2 Citalopram (Celexa) Participants will take citalopram (Celexa)
- Primary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method
- Secondary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method
Trial Locations
- Locations (2)
Veterans Administration Hospital of Cincinnati
🇺🇸Cincinnati, Ohio, United States
San Diego VA Medical Center
🇺🇸San Diego, California, United States