NCT04497168

Citalopram as a Posterior Cortical Protective Therapy in Parkinson Disease

• Status: Completed
• Phase: Phase 2
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 58 (actual)
• Sponsor: University of Michigan · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 65 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

This Parkinson disease (PD) trial will test whether 26 months of citalopram, compared to placebo, can alter the build-up of toxic amyloid-beta plaques in the visuospatial cortex of the brain linked to visuospatial cognitive impairment in PD.

Detailed description

This study is a proof-of-concept Parkinson disease trial aimed at delaying visuospatial cognitive decline, an important component of Parkinson dementia. In Parkinson disease, low-range cortical Abeta plaque levels associate with serotonin terminal losses. Multicenter Parkinson disease observational findings show that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) associate with lower dementia conversion risk and different cerebrospinal fluid Abeta-42 levels. This study aims to test the hypothesis that citalopram use in Parkinson disease will reduce visuospatial cortex Abeta plaque accrual, leading to an amelioration of longitudinal visuospatial cognitive decline linked to Parkinsonian dementia. The study will test this hypothesis in a randomized placebo-controlled trial of citalopram 20mg daily over 26 months in Parkinson disease subjects (age ≥65) without depression (n=58).

Conditions

• Parkinson Disease

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DRUG	Citalopram 20mg	20mg daily
DRUG	Placebo	matching placebo pills

Timeline

• Start date: 2021-04-01
• Primary completion: 2026-03-02
• Completion: 2026-03-02
• First posted: 2020-08-04
• Last updated: 2026-03-16

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States

Regulatory

• FDA-regulated drug study