Citalopram treatment of children and adolescents with obsessive-compulsive disorder: A preliminary report

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to assess the efficacy and tolerability of citalopram in the acute treatment of children and adolescents with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) during an 8-week, open-label study. Fifteen patients (six female, nine male) with a mean age of 12.1 +/- 3.3 years (range: 6-17 years) were treated with citalopram (range of dose: 20-30 mg/day, mean dose: 24 +/- 5.5 mg/day). The children's version of the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive scale (CY-BOCS) was rated at the baseline, at the 4th week and at the 8th week of treatment. Fourteen patients had a decrease in total score of CY-BOCS from baseline to the 4th week of treatment (P < 0.01) and the 8th week of treatment (P < 0.01). Sedation (n = 1) and insomnia (n = 1) were reported in the first weeks of treatment. The primary data suggest the efficacy and tolerability of citalopram in young patients with OCD.