Objective: In a prospective, open-label pilot study in probable-Alzheimer disease (AD) outpatients, the authors investigated the efficacy of citalopram to reduce restless activity and aberrant motor behaviors.
Methods: Nineteen subjects were evaluated with Neuropsychiatric Inventory subscale and total scores.
Results: There was a significant decline in aberrant motor behaviors and overall behavior problems at 4, 8, and 12 weeks.
Conclusion: This study provides initial evidence that citalopram may be effective in reducing aberrant motor behaviors in AD. However, because of the potential biases of an open-label study, these findings need to be confirmed in a larger, controlled trial.