Citalopram for Agitation in Alzheimer's Disease

Exclusion Criteria

• •Meets criteria for Major Depressive Episode by Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition, text revision (DSM-IV (TR)) criteria
• •Presence of a brain disease that might otherwise explain the presence of dementia, such as extensive brain vascular disease, Parkinson's disease, dementia with Lewy bodies, traumatic brain injury, or multiple sclerosis
• •Psychosis (delusions or hallucinations) requiring antipsychotic treatment in the opinion of the study physician
• •Prolonged measure of the time between the start of the Q wave and the end of the T wave in the heart's electrical cycle (QT interval)
• •Treatment with citalopram is contraindicated in the opinion of the study physician
• •Failure of past treatment with citalopram for agitation after adequate trial at a minimally accepted dose (greater than or equal to 20 mg/day)
• •Treatment with a medication that would prohibit the safe concurrent use of citalopram, such as Monoamine oxidases (MAO) inhibitors
• •Need for psychiatric hospitalization or suicidal
• •Current participation in a clinical trial or in any study that may add a significant burden or affect neuropsychological or other study outcomes
• •Current treatment with antipsychotics, anticonvulsants (other than dilantin), other antidepressants (other than trazodone, less than or equal to 50 mg per day at bedtime), benzodiazepines (other than lorazepam), or psychostimulants
• •Any condition that, in the opinion of the study physician, makes it medically inappropriate or risky for the patient to enroll in the trial