Table 5.
Serotonergic antidepressants
| Drug | Author | Method | n | Duration | Behavior | Cognition/function |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paroxetine (20 mg/d) versus piracetam (1,200 mg/d) | Moretti et al85 | Randomized, controlled | 16 | 14 months | Improved in paroxetine group | Stable in paroxetine group |
| Paroxetine (40 mg/d) | Deakin et al123 | Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled | 10 | 6 weeks | No treatment effect (NPI, CBI) | Cognition (neuropsychological battery): unchanged/worsened |
| Sertraline (50–100 mg/d) | Mendez et al124 | Open-label | 8 | 6 months | Decreased stereotypical movements | Not evaluated |
| Trazodone (300 mg/d) | Lebert et al125 | Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover | 26 | 12 weeks | Improved (NPI) | No treatment effect (MMSE) |
| Fluvoxamine (50–150 mg/d) | Ikeda et al126 | Open-label | 15 | 12 weeks | Improved (NPI, SRI) | Unchanged (MMSE) |
| Citalopram (40 mg) | Herrmann et al127 | Open-label | 15 | 6 weeks | Improved (NPI, FBI) | Not evaluated |
| Moclobemide (300–600 mg/d) | Adler et al128 | Open-label | 6 | 4 weeks | Minor improvement of some BPSD (symptom list) in a few patients | Unchanged |
Abbreviations: NPI, Neuropsychiatric Inventory; CBI, Cambridge Behavioral Inventory; SRI, Stereotypy Rating Inventory; FBI, Frontal Behavioral Inventory; BPSD, Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms in Dementia; d, day; MMSE, Mini-Mental State Examination.