Evidence map›Paper›PMID 17503182›Full record

Trial reportDigestive diseases and sciences2008

Antidepressant therapy (imipramine and citalopram) for irritable bowel syndrome: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial.

Nicholas J Talley, John E Kellow, Philip Boyce, Christopher Tennant, Sandy Huskic, Michael Jones

Abstract readComparative StudyMulticenter StudyRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in Digestive diseases and sciences, 2008. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 47 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
47citing papers in PubMed, 5 pooled it
7.3field-weighted citation impact, top 2% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

47 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 124 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Pooled it
  5. Pooled it
  6. Citalopram provides little or no benefit in nondepressed patients with irritable bowel syndrome.Clinical gastroenterology and hepatology : the official clinical practice journal of the American Gastroenterological Association · 2010
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  12. [Pharmacologic Treatment of Irritable Bowel Syndrome with Predominant Constipation].The Korean journal of gastroenterology = Taehan Sohwagi Hakhoe chi · 2025
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  20. Effects of venlafaxine on gastrointestinal symptoms, depression, anxiety, stress, and quality of life in patients with the moderate-to-severe irritable bowel syndrome.Journal of research in medical sciences : the official journal of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences · 2020
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 5 institutions in 3 countries.

Nicholas J TalleyDepartment of Medicine, Nepean Hospital, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia. talley.nicholas@mayo.edu
John E Kellow
Philip Boyce
Christopher Tennant
Sandy Huskic
Michael Jones
Nepean Hospital · AUMacquarie University · AURoyal North Shore Hospital · AUThe University of Sydney · AUWestmead Hospital · AU

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe efficacy of antidepressants in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is controversial. No trials have directly compared a tricyclic with a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor. Our aim was to determine whether imipramine and citalopram are efficacious in IBS.

methodsThis was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel group pilot trial with imipramine (50 mg) and citalopram (40 mg).

resultsOf 51 IBS patients randomized, baseline characteristics were comparable among the treatment arms; the majority was diarrhea-predominant. Adequate relief of IBS symptoms (primary endpoint) was similar for each treatment arm. Improvements in bowel symptom severity rating for interference (P = 0.05) and distress (P = 0.02) were greater with imipramine versus placebo, but improvements in abdominal pain were not. There was a greater improvement in depression score (P = 0.08) and in the SF-36 Mental Component Score (P = 0.07), with imipramine. Citalopram was not superior to placebo. Approximately 20% of the variance in scores was explained by treatment differences for abdominal pain, bowel symptom severity disability, depression and the mental component of the SF-36.

conclusionNeither imipramine nor citalopram significantly improved global IBS endpoints over placebo.

Indexed as

AdultAntidepressive Agents, Second-GenerationAntidepressive Agents, TricyclicCitalopramDouble-Blind MethodFemaleFollow-Up StudiesHumansImipramineIrritable Bowel SyndromeMalePatient SatisfactionPilot ProjectsProspective StudiesTreatment OutcomeAntidepressive Agents, Second-GenerationAntidepressive Agents, TricyclicCitalopramImipramine

Identifiers

PMID17503182
OpenAlexW1991905967

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.