Meta-analysis of comparative study on citalopram and clomipramine in the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder

Objective:To study the difference of efficacy and side effect of citalopram and clomipramine in the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder(OCD).Method:A total of 9 comparative studies of citalopram and clomipramine in the treatment of OCD were analyzed by meta-analysis.Results:Obsessive-compulsive symptoms improved significantly with citalopram treatment(χ2=135.02,P0.01).Comparison between citalopram and clomipramine at 2nd weekend after treatment and at the end of trials showed that d=-0.83,95%CI(-1.34,-0.31),χ2=9.99,P0.01;yco=-0.08,95%CI(-0.27,0.10),χ2=0.81,P0.05.This revealed that there was no significant difference between citalopram and clomipramine with respect to the clinical efficacy.However,citalopram had a rapid effect on symptoms,with significantly less adverse effects compared with clomipramine.Conclusion:Citalopram has a similar clinical efficacy compared with clomipramine,with rapid treatment effect and less adverse effects.