Comparing effects of citalopram with fluoxetine on sleep quality in patients with major depressive disorder

• Published in: European review for medical and pharmacological sciences Vol. 17; no. 9; p. 1155
• Main Authors: Shahsavand-Ananloo, E, Berenji, F, Sadeghniiat, K, Alimadadi, A, Zahiroddin, A R, Tabatabaee, M, Abbasi-Asl, M, Ghaeli, P
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Italy 01-05-2013
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Citalopram - therapeutic use; Depressive Disorder, Major - complications; Depressive Disorder, Major - drug therapy; Depressive Disorder, Major - psychology; Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; Female; Fluoxetine - therapeutic use; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; Serotonin Uptake Inhibitors - therapeutic use; Sleep - drug effects; Sleep Wake Disorders - drug therapy; Sleep Wake Disorders - etiology; Young Adult
• ISSN: 1128-3602

Sleep disturbance is a common complaint in major depressive disorder (MDD) including impairment of both subjective and objective parameters. All antidepressants affect sleep architecture and quality.
This trial was designed to compare the effects of short-term use of citalopram with fluoxetine on sleep quality (SQ) of patients with MDD based on Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders - Text Revision 4th edition (DSM-IV-TR) criteria.
Patients who met the study criteria entered this open-label study. Sleep quality and depression severity were evaluated by using Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), respectively. Patients could not have received any antidepressant for at least one month prior entering the study. Subjects were assigned to receive either fluoxetine or citalopram for 8 weeks. The relationships between SQ and severity of depression were also studied at weeks 4 and 8. Data was analyzed by using SPSS 11.5 version.
Nineteen patients received fluoxetine 20-40 mg/day and 21 received citalopram 20-40 mg/day. After 4 and 8 weeks treatment with both fluoxetine and citalopram, significant improvements in SQ were noted in both groups. However, no significant difference between the two groups was observed. Additionally, a significant and positive correlation between improvements in SQ and depression was noted after 8 weeks treatment with citalopram but not with fluoxetine.
This study noted that both citalopram and fluoxetine improved SQ in outpatients with MDD after 8 weeks without any significant difference between the 2 groups.