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Published on: February 11, 2019
Methylphenidate-enhanced antidepressant response to citalopram in the elderly: a double-blind, placebo-controlled
Helen Lavretsky1, Susan Park, Prabha Siddarth
1Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA. hlavretsky@mednet.ucla.edu
Objective:
The authors evaluated the potential of methylphenidate to accelerate and enhance antidepressant response to citalopram in elderly depressed patients.
Methods:
Sixteen outpatients with major depression were treated in a 10-week double-blind trial. Response was defined as a score on the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (24-item) of less than 10.
Results:
An accelerated response was observed by week 3 in five subjects receiving citalopram (CIT)+methylphenidate (MPH) and in none of those receiving CIT+placebo (PBO). Subjects receiving citalopram and methylphenidate showed a significant improvement in depressive symptoms compared with those on citalopram and placebo.
Conclusion:
Combined treatment with citalopram and methylphenidate appears to be a viable strategy for accelerating and enhancing antidepressant response in elderly depressed patients limited by tolerability and safety.
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