Citalopram as a Posterior Cortical Protective Therapy in Parkinson Disease

NCT ID: NCT04497168

Last Updated: 2026-01-26

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING
• Clinical Phase: PHASE2
• Total Enrollment: 58 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2021-04-01
• Study Completion Date: 2026-03-01

Brief 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

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: PREVENTION
• Blinding Strategy: DOUBLE

Study Groups

Citalopram

20mg daily

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Citalopram 20mg

Intervention Type: DRUG

20mg daily

Placebo

matching placebo pills

Group Type: PLACEBO_COMPARATOR

Placebo

Intervention Type: DRUG

matching placebo pills

Interventions

Citalopram 20mg

20mg daily

Intervention Type: DRUG

Placebo

matching placebo pills

Intervention Type: DRUG

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Subjects with a Parkinson Disease (PD) diagnosis based on the United Kingdom Parkinson's Disease Society Brain Bank Research Center clinical diagnostic criteria
• Modified Hoehn and Yahr (HY) scores spanning 2.0 to 3.0
• Age 65 years or greater

Exclusion Criteria

• Diagnosis of an atypical parkinsonian condition
• Participants on neuroleptics and participants with a history of use of anti-depressants (including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), bupropion, St. John's Wort or other serotoninergic agents in the year preceding study enrollment
• Evidence of a large artery stroke or mass lesion on brain imaging
• Participants with a life threatening comorbid illness
• Severe claustrophobia precluding PET imaging
• Inability to participate in research procedures involving ionizing radiation
• Pregnancy or breastfeeding
• Participants with active depression as defined by a Geriatric Depression Scale score of >10 or on the basis of clinical diagnosis by the PI
• Participants who report active suicidal ideation as defined by an affirmative answer to questions 1 and 2 on the C-SSRS
• Participants with baseline HY scores <2.0 or ≥3.0
• Participants with a QTc interval on baseline EKG >0.45 for men or >0.47 for women
• Subjects taking certain contraindicated medications at baseline
• Subjects unable to swallow pills
• Subjects with a previous history of mania, ongoing hepatic impairment or epilepsy
• Subjects with a known allergy to citalopram or escitalopram
• Subjects with substantial cognitive impairment or dementia that would prevent them from providing informed consent
• Subjects in another ongoing clinical trial
• Subjects with treatment-naieve Parkinson disease

• Minimum Eligible Age: 65 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

National Institute on Aging (NIA)

NIH

Sponsor Role: collaborator

University of Michigan

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Vikas Kotagal

Associate Professor of Neurology

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Vikas Kotagal, MD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University of Michigan

Locations

University of Michigan

Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States

Countries

United States

Other Identifiers

1R01AG065246

Identifier Type: NIH

Identifier Source: secondary_id

View Link

HUM00146905

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id