What is the efficacy and safety of citalopram for the treatment of poststroke depression?
A meta-analysis of multiple studies conducted by Cui et al (2018), Deng et al (2018), Sun et al (2017), Deng et al (2018), Shen et al (2017), and Xu et al (2016) found that citalopram is an effective and safe treatment for poststroke depression. The meta-analysis found that citalopram was associated with a significantly higher response rate and remission rate than placebo, with no significant differences in adverse events. The results of the meta-analysis were supported by a meta-analysis conducted by Tan et al (2016) which found that citalopram was associated with a significantly higher response rate than placebo and a meta-analysis conducted by Hackett et al (2019) which found that citalopram was associated with significantly fewer adverse events than placebo. Overall, the evidence suggests that citalopram is an effective and safe treatment for poststroke depression.