Comparative Efficacy and Safety of Antidepressive Mono- and Multimodal Therapy with Citicoline in Elderly Patients with Depression in Psychogeriatric Unit

Abstract

Introduction

Citicoline is a choline donor involved in the biosynthesis of brain phospholipids and acetylcholine, used for treating neurodegenerative disorders. Several studies have shown its beneficial effects both in degenerative and vascular cognitive decline. Due to its effects on the adrenergic and dopaminergic CNS activity, citicoline can also be used as an adjuvant in depression treatment.

Objectives and aims

Comparative evaluation of efficacy and safety of a multimodal antidepressive therapy with ceraxone (citicoline) plus one of the antidepressants (venlafaxine, agomelatine, or fluvoxamine) and monotherapy with the same antidepressant for the treatment of depression in the elderly. Two groups of patients were included in the study (21 patients in each group) aged from 60 to 79 years old, comparable to the main clinical characteristics.

Methods

First group patients were treated with a single antidepressant, patients of the second group – with the same antidepressant and intravenous infusions of ceraxone: 10 infusions (500 mg in 100 mL isotonic sodium chloride solution) during 2 weeks, followed by transfer to the drug in solution at 3 mL per os two times a day for six weeks.

Results

A multimodal therapy with ceraxone leads to more rapid and significant therapeutic response along with the reduction of adverse events compared to antidepressant monotherapy.

Conclusion

Obtained data allows to recommend a multimodal antidepressive therapy with ceraxone (citicoline) for the treatment of elderly depressive patients to reduce the risk of adverse effects of antidepressants and to shorten hospitalization period.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.