BOSTON: Although citalopram appeared to reduce delusions, anxiety and irritability among individuals with Alzheimer’s disease, researchers expressed concern regarding cognitive and cardiac side effects of the treatment.
“No pharmacotherapy has been approved for this indication by the [FDA]. Atypical antipsychotics, which have the best-established albeit limited efficacy, are the most frequently used agents in practice. This is problematic, as growing evidence suggests serious safety concerns, increased mortality, and uncertain efficacy when using antipsychotics in patients with dementia,” Anne K. Leonpacher, MD, of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, and colleagues wrote…