DEPRESSION IN IDIOPATHIC PARKINSONS-DISEASE TREATED WITH CITALOPRAM -A PLACEBO-CONTROLLED TRIAL

The antidepressive effect of citalopram in depressed patients with idi opathic Parkinson's disease (PD) was evaluated in a placebo-controlled trial. Before treatment the patients had a mean Hamilton Depression S cale CHAM-D) score around 17. In the acute 6-week phase a statisticall y significant decrease in HAM-D was obtained in both groups of patient s but without difference between the groups. End-point HAM-D scores we re around 10. In the continuation phase many patients dropped out beca use of the lack of response. The dose of citalopram was rather low, an d the drug was well tolerated. Thus, no exacerbation of PD was seen wh en citalopram was compared with placebo. During the trial the applicab ility of the HAM-D in patients with PD was questioned because around 5 6% of the patients had recurrent brief depression of 2-3 days' duratio n, which might explain the negative results of the present study.