Evidence map›Paper›PMID 30219986›Full record

ArticlePsychopharmacology2018

The SSRI citalopram increases the sensitivity of the human circadian system to light in an acute dose.

E M McGlashan, L S Nandam, P Vidafar, D R Mansfield, S M W Rajaratnam, S W Cain

Abstract readControlled Clinical Trial
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Psychopharmacology, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 34 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
34citing papers in PubMed
3.5field-weighted citation impact, top 6% 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

34 citing papers in PubMed, 59 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Trial
  2. Trial
  3. Review
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Review
  7. Role of chronotype in depression.World journal of psychiatry · 2025
    Review
  8. Mental health and sleep correlates of self-reported outdoor daylight exposure in over 13,000 adults with depression.European psychiatry : the journal of the Association of European Psychiatrists · 2025
    Article
  9. Review
  10. Article
  11. The sleep-circadian interface: A window into mental disorders.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2024
    Review
  12. Sleep and circadian rhythm disturbances: plausible pathways to major mental disorders?World psychiatry : official journal of the World Psychiatric Association (WPA) · 2024
    Article
  13. Article
  14. Review
  15. Article
  16. Review
  17. Circadian disruption and human health.The Journal of clinical investigation · 2021
    Review
  18. Review
  19. Article
  20. 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 3 institutions in 1 country.

E M McGlashanMonash Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neurosciences, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, 18 Innovation Walk, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia.
L S NandamQueensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
P VidafarMonash Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neurosciences, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, 18 Innovation Walk, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia.
D R MansfieldMonash Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neurosciences, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, 18 Innovation Walk, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia.
S M W RajaratnamMonash Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neurosciences, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, 18 Innovation Walk, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia.
S W CainMonash Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neurosciences, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, 18 Innovation Walk, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia. sean.cain@monash.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8385-1550
Monash University · AUMonash Health · AUThe University of Queensland · AU

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

rationaleDisturbances of the circadian system are common in depression. Though they typically subside when depression is treated with antidepressants, the mechanism by which this occurs is unknown. Despite being the most commonly prescribed class of antidepressants, the effect of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) on the human circadian clock is not well understood.

objectiveTo examine the effect of the SSRI citalopram (30 mg) on the sensitivity of the human circadian system to light.

methodsThis study used a double-blind, placebo-controlled, within-subjects, crossover design. Participants completed two melatonin suppression assessments in room level light (~ 100 lx), taking either a single dose of citalopram 30 mg or a placebo at the beginning of each light exposure. Melatonin suppression was calculated by comparing placebo and citalopram light exposure conditions to a dim light baseline.

resultsA 47% increase in melatonin suppression was observed after administration of an acute dose of citalopram, with all participants showing more suppression after citalopram administration (large effect, d = 1.54). Further, melatonin onset occurred later under normal room light with citalopram compared to placebo.

conclusionsIncreased sensitivity of the circadian system to light could assist in explaining some of the inter-individual variability in antidepressant treatment responses, as it is likely to assist in recovery in some patients, while causing further disruption for others.

Indexed as

AdultAntidepressive AgentsCircadian ClocksCircadian RhythmCitalopramCross-Over StudiesDepressive DisorderDouble-Blind MethodFemaleHumansLightingMaleMelatoninSelective Serotonin Reuptake InhibitorsAntidepressive AgentsCitalopramMelatoninSelective Serotonin Reuptake InhibitorsAntidepressantsCircadian rhythmsDepressionLight at nightLight sensitivityMelatonin suppressionSleep

Identifiers

PMID30219986
OpenAlexW2891463661

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.