Citalopram significantly reduces agitation in patients with Alzheimer’s disease, an American and Canadian multicentre study has found. Participants were recruited from a number of different settings, including memory clinics, community outreach and nursing homes. They had probable Alzheimer’s disease, as defined by national criteria, they did not meet DSM IV criteria for major depression and had clinically significant agitation (defined by frequency and severity). A total of 186 participants were randomised to receive a psychosocial intervention plus either citalopram or placebo for nine weeks.