CC BY
33STH MULTIDISCIPLINARY INTERNATIONAL
Conference of Biological Psychiatry
«Stress and Behavior»
Proceedings of the 9th International Multidisciplinary Conference «Stress and behavior» Saint-Petersburg, Russia, 16-19 May 2005 Editor: Allan V. Kalueff, PhD
CONFERENCE ABSTRACTS 1. PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY
CITALOPRAM AND VENLAFAXINE IN ELDERLY PATIENTS
P. Galecki, T. Nowakowski, M. Macander, K. Zboralski Department of Psychiatry and Neurosis Disorders with Crisis Intervention Ward, Medical University,
Psychiatric Health Service Center, Lodz, Poland
In many countries, depressive disorders in elderly seem to be a serious medical and social problem. The aim of the study was to evaluate citalopram efficiency and safety in comparison to venlafaxine treatments of depressive episode in elderly patients.
Material and methods: 89 elderly patients with depressive episode were involved in the study. The research lasted for 42 days. Clinical state of patients was examined by Hamilton rating scale (HAM-D), geriatric depressive scale (GDS) and cognitive functions were examined by Mini-Mental scale. Citalopram was given to 44, and venlafaxine 45 patients.
Results: Significant improvement evaluated in HAM-D and CGI scale was observed in 77.3% patients citalopram treated and 66.6% in venlafaxine group.
Conclusion: 1) Our study showed similar efficiency and safety of citalopram and venlafaxine for geriatric depression. 2) Citalopram efficiency in comparison to venlafaxine was faster — especially on 21st and 28th day of the study. This suggests that citalopram is characterized by potentially quicker beginning of activity in elderly. 3) Citalopram and venlafaxine do not cause disturbances of cognitive function in the examined groups.
Psychopharmacol. Biol. Narcol. 2005. Vol. 5, N 2. P. 886
Psyhopharmacology & biological narcology
ISSN 1606-8181
