Antidepressant Reduces Agitation in Alzheimer's Disease Patients, Study

Antidepressant drug citalopram can reduce agitation in people with Alzheimer's disease, a new study has shown.

Citalopram, sold under the brand names Celexa and Cipramil, belongs to a class of drugs called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). The drug works by increasing the amount of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that helps control mental balance.

The term agitation is used to describe several behaviors associated with Alzheimer's disease. People with the condition display changes in personalities and even become irritable.

"Agitation is one of the worst symptoms for patients and their families: it puts the Alzheimer's patient at risk for other system overloads (cardiac, infection), wears them out physically, and exhausts caregivers and families," noted one expert, Dr. Alan Manevitz, a clinical psychiatrist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, reported HealthDay.

In lower doses, the citalopram might be better than other antipsychotic drugs currently used to treat agitation in people with Alzheimer's disease. The study was conducted by Constantine Lyketsos, M.D.  at John Hopkins University and their colleagues.

Side-effects of using the drug include abnormal heart function and reduced cognitive ability. According to the researchers, these effects are also associated with antipsychotic drug use.

The study is published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

About 186 Alzheimer's disease patients took part in the study. Researchers divided participants in two groups; one received the test drug while the other was put on placebo.

Nine weeks later, study group reported lower levels of agitation when compared with the group on placebo. About 40 percent of people taking citalopram reported "considerable relief," compared to 26 percent of patients on the dummy pills, according to a news release.

In the next part of the study, researchers will try to find out the dose of the drug that can reduce agitation in people with AD without increasing risk for cognitive decline and abnormal heart rhythm.