If this is not your name, click here.
| | If this is not your name, click here. | | |
| | Contact Us | Order Now | Journals | Bookstore | Register a colleague | | |
| |  DG DISPATCH - AACAP: Sertraline Effective In Children With OCD By Lara Pullen Special to DG News CHICAGO, IL -- October 22, 1999 -- Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) affects approximately one in 200 young people. A multi-center, randomized, placebo-controlled trial has demonstrated that the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), sertraline, is a safe and effective treatment for young people with this condition.
Dr. Edwin Cook of the University of Chicago presented the results of a 52-week clinical trial Thursday (Oct. 21) at the 46th annual meeting of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP). The purpose of the trial was to evaluate the long-term safety and efficacy of sertraline in children and adolescents with OCD. The study included 137 children six to 18 years who were diagnosed with OCD and who had completed an initial 12-week, multi-center, double-blind comparison of placebo and sertraline. Sertraline dosage was titrated upwards in 25 mg weekly increments from an initial dose of 25 mg (age six-12 years) or 50 mg weekly doses from an initial dose of 50 mg (age 13-18) based upon clinical response. The maximum dosage used was 200 mg. There was a statistically significant improvement in sertraline-treated patients over the course of the study. In addition, sertraline was well tolerated with an adverse event profile similar to that seen in adults. The adverse events tended to occur early in the course of treatment and decreased markedly as the trial progressed.
|
