ArticlePediatric gastroenterology, hepatology & nutrition2026
Efficacy of Antidepressants in Treating Functional Abdominal Pain Disorders in Children: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.
Article in Pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology & nutrition, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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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.
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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.
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Authors and funding
4 authors.
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Abstract
Purpose: Functional abdominal pain disorders (FAPDs) affect 13.5% of children and are challenging to treat owing to their poor quality of life and chronicity. Although antidepressants are potential interventions, the evidence of their efficacy remains inconclusive. This study evaluated the effectiveness of antidepressants in pediatric patients with FAPDs and explored the differences in antidepressant type and treatment duration. Methods: A systematic review of antidepressant efficacy in pediatric FAPDs was conducted using PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Cochrane Central databases. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing antidepressants were included. Subgroup analyses assessed the differences according to the antidepressant type (amitriptyline vs. citalopram) and treatment duration (4 weeks vs. 12 weeks). Results: Three RCTs with 287 participants met the inclusion criteria. The pooled odds ratio (OR) for clinical response (symptom improvement) was 3.18 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.67-15.00), which was not statistically significant ( Conclusion: Although antidepressants did not demonstrate statistically significant overall efficacy in pediatric FAPDs, the observed effect estimates suggest a possible therapeutic benefit. Exploratory subgroup analyses indicated that treatment duration might influence symptom improvement; however, these findings were limited by substantial heterogeneity and the small number of trials available. Additional randomized controlled trials are warranted.
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