Citalopram Compared to Dothiepin and Placebo: Effects on Cognitive Function and Psychomotor Performance

Abstract

Three doses of citalopram (10, 20 and 40 mg), and placebo were administered to healthy volunteers for periods of 8 days each. Dothiepin 75 mg was given as an acute dose on days 1 and 8 only, with placebo dothiepin on days 2–7. Subjects were tested on days 1 and 8 of the dosing periods on a battery of psychometric tests. The results showed that citalopram at all doses had no detrimental effects on psychomotor performance. The effect of citalopram on critical flicker fusion (CFF) was to raise thresholds. This indicates an improvement in CNS function, i.e. an elevation of cognitive processing ability, with no evidence of an arousing or alerting effect. The effects were apparent after both acute and sub‐chronic dosing. These data are in contrast to those collected for dothiepin, which showed significant impairment of cognitive and psychomotor function on most of the measures employed. The most frequent adverse events reported for citalopram were drowsiness, nausea and headache, with the nausea appearing to be dose dependent. The main adverse events reported for dothiepin were drowsiness, sleepiness and dizziness. The rates of adverse events for all active treatments were not statistically significantly different to placebo. It is concluded that citalopram is relatively free from behavioural toxicity and so represents a significant improvement over the older antidepressant agents such as dothiepin. © 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A double‐blind, placebo‐controlled investigation of the residual psychomotor and cognitive effects of zolpidem‐MR in healthy elderly volunteers

“…CFF has been shown to be sensitive to a variety of psychoactive compounds [26–28]. A decrease in the CFF threshold was indicative of a reduction in the overall integrative activity of the central nervous system [29].…”

Influence of Pharmacotherapy on Cognitive Functions in Depression: A Review of the Literature

“…As mentioned above, this is mainly due to their anticholinergic effect [ 40 ]. There was, however, no negative effect on cognitive function in healthy individuals given a single dose of citalopram, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRIs) [ 41 ] and moclobemide, a selective and reversible inhibitor of monoamine oxidase (MAO) [ 42 ], or mirtazapine, a noradrenergic and specific serotonergic antidepressant (NASSAs, nonadrenergic, and specific serotoninergic antidepressant), increasing serotonergic and noradrenergic neurotransmission and blocking serotonergic receptors 5-HT2 and 5-HT3 [ 43 ].…”

Antidepressants, serotonin and cognition : applied and fundamental studies in human volunteers

“…the digit symbol substitution test and the trailmaking B test (Nathan et al, 2000). After 1 and 8 days administration of 10, 20 and 40 mg citalopram, there were no detrimental effects on psychomotor functioning, including the choice reaction time test and compensatory tracking, compared to placebo (Fairweather et al, 1997). In general, it can be said that citalopram is free of impairing psychomotor effects.…”

“…Citalopram, the parent compound of escitalopram is free from detrimental effects on psychomotor function (Fairweather et al, 1997;Herberg, 2001;Nathan et al, 2000).…”

“…These side antidepressants influence driving ability to the same extent. In cases of severe major depression, an effective antidepressant with few side effects, may even improve driving performance when alleviating the depression (Grappe et al, 1998;Hindmarch, 1995Hindmarch, , 1997. Selective antidepressants, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are known to have less impairing effects on car driving than tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) in depressed patients (Brunnauer & Laux, 2003).…”