The effect of 6-week treatment with escitalopram on CCK-4 challenge: a placebo-controlled study in CCK-4-sensitive healthy volunteers

What Was Tested

Researchers studied Cholecystokinin (CCK) in this randomized controlled trial publication.

The aim of this study was to assess the effect of 6-week treatment with an SSRI escitalopram on CCK-4-induced symptoms in healthy volunteers, who previously responded with a panic attack to CCK-4 challenge.

Who Took Part

According to the abstract, 18 subjects were involved.

By PubMed's age tags, the people studied were adults and middle-aged adults, both men and women.

How the Study Was Run

The researchers set it up as a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled and crossover study.

The subjects were allocated by chance, so the Cholecystokinin (CCK) group and the comparison group should start out alike.

Blinding on both sides kept the subjects and researchers unaware of who received Cholecystokinin (CCK).

The comparison arm used a placebo, so changes seen with Cholecystokinin (CCK) could be set against what happens without it.

Each person switched between Cholecystokinin (CCK) and the comparison at some point, usually with a gap in between.

What Was Measured

PubMed files the paper under topics including Citalopram, Panic Disorder, Polymorphism, Genetic, Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins, Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors and Tetragastrin.

What This Means in Plain Language

The paper is a randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled study of Cholecystokinin (CCK) in 18 subjects.

With fewer than 40 people, it is a small study, so it is better read as an early signal for further research than as a settled answer.

The publication is from 2013 (European neuropsychopharmacology : the journal of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology), a journal based in Netherlands.

More context: the Cholecystokinin (CCK) compound page, all human trials.