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Clinical Trial
. 2001 Jul;40(7):773-9.
doi: 10.1097/00004583-200107000-00011.

Fluoxetine treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder in children and adolescents: a placebo-controlled clinical trial

D A Geller  1 , S L Hoog, J H Heiligenstein, R K Ricardi, R Tamura, S Kluszynski, J G Jacobson; Fluoxetine Pediatric OCD Study Team
Affiliations
Clinical Trial

Fluoxetine treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder in children and adolescents: a placebo-controlled clinical trial

D A Geller et al. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2001 Jul.

Abstract

Objective: This study assesses the efficacy and tolerability of fluoxetine in the acute treatment of child and adolescent obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) during a 13-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.

Method: Eligible patients aged 7 to 17 (N = 103) were randomized at a ratio of 2:1 to receive either fluoxetine or placebo. Dosing was initiated at 10 mg daily for 2 weeks, then increased to 20 mg daily. After 4 weeks of treatment, and again after 7 weeks of treatment, non-responders could have their dosage increased by 20 mg daily, for a maximum possible dosage of 60 mg daily. Primary measure of efficacy was improvement in OCD symptoms as measured by the Children's Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (CY-BOCS). All analyses were intent-to-treat.

Results: Fluoxetine was associated with significantly greater improvement in OCD as assessed by the CY-BOCS (p = .026) and other measures than was placebo. Fluoxetine was well tolerated and had a rate of discontinuation for adverse events similar to that of placebo (p = 1.00).

Conclusions: Fluoxetine 20 to 60 mg daily was effective and well tolerated for treatment of OCD in this pediatric population.

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Comment in

  • Paroxetine in adolescent major depression.
    Weintrob A. Weintrob A. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2002 Apr;41(4):363-4; author reply 364. doi: 10.1097/00004583-200204000-00002. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2002. PMID: 11931587 No abstract available.

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