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Pharmacopsychiatry 2001; 34(6): 254-258
DOI: 10.1055/s-2001-18031
Case Report
© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York

Treatment of Pathological Crying with Citalopram[1]

W. P. Kaschka1 , A. Meyer2 , K. R. Schier1 , W. Fröscher2
  • 1University of Ulm, Department of Psychiatry I, Weissenau Psychiatric Hospital, Ravensburg, Germany
  • 2University of Ulm, Department of Neurology and Epileptology at the Weissenau Psychiatric Hospital, Department of Psychiatry I, Ravensburg, Germany
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Publication History

Publication Date:
26 October 2001 (online)

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Pathological laughing and/or crying may occur as a concomitant symptom of various diseases of the central nervous system. No known anatomical basis for any of these disorders exists at present. However, references to a disturbance in central serotoninergic neurotransmission have become frequent in the literature, implicating this as an important etiological factor. In the present communication three cases of successful treatment of pathological crying using the SSRI citalopram are reported. Besides the response of pathological crying in cerebral ischemia to SSRIs, which has already been described in earlier publications, this is the first report on the successful administration of citalopram for treating pathological crying in Parkinson's disease. Onset of response was very rapid in all cases.

1 Essential parts of this communication have been presented on the occasion of the 1st International Forum on Mood and Anxiety Disorders, Monte-Carlo, Monaco, November 29 - December 2, 2000

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1 Essential parts of this communication have been presented on the occasion of the 1st International Forum on Mood and Anxiety Disorders, Monte-Carlo, Monaco, November 29 - December 2, 2000

Prof. Dr. med. W. P. Kaschka

University of Ulm
Department of Psychiatry I
Weissenau Psychiatric Hospital

PO Box 2044
88190 Ravensburg

Phone: + 49-751-76012210

Fax: + 49-751-76012224