An open-label efficacy trial of escitalopram for night eating syndrome

• Open label escitalopram reduced all core symptoms of night eating syndrome.
• Co-morbid psychopathology was common but did not affect outcomes.
• Additional larger, randomized trials of escitalopram seem warranted.

ObjectiveNight eating syndrome (NES) has become increasingly recognized as a disorder in need of effective treatments. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors have shown efficacy in previous trials, so we sought to expand our understanding of the efficacy of escitalopram in the current trial.MethodThirty-one adults with NES participated in a 12-week open-label trial of escitalopram. Outcome measures included the Night Eating Symptom Scale (NESS), percent of daily intake after the evening meal (% intake) and number of nocturnal ingestions/week (NI), weight, total awakenings/week, mood, and quality of life. Mixed-effects models were used to assess change over time.ResultsSignificant reductions were observed from week 0 to week 12 for the NESS (30.2 to 15.2), % intake (46% to 17%), NI (5.8 to 1.2), weight (90.2 to 88.6 kg), awakenings (8.1 to 2.7), and BDI-II (12.1 to 7.7). Outcomes did not differ significantly by gender, age, race, or psychiatric co-morbidity status. Eighteen of 31 completed 12 weeks of treatment.DiscussionThis open-label trial of escitalopram showed significant reductions in symptoms associated with NES. Randomized controlled trials are warranted to test these findings.Trial Registration: clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT01401595.