( of psychology and neuroscience whose ...)Study of Drug Therapy for Compulsive Buying Yields a Puzzle,,Stanford Researcher Says,Health

"We would look for a difference in the brain activation patterns of those who respond to the drug vs. those who don't," said Koran.

The inconclusive nature of the results from the latest trial of escitalopram should not discourage anyone suffering from compulsive buying from seeking treatment, since several types of treatment seem to be helpful, Koran emphasized.

This study was funded by Forest Laboratories, which makes and markets escitalopram under the name Lexapro, and citalopram under the name Celexa. Koran has served as a paid speaker for Forest Laboratories, as has second author Elias Aboujaoude, MD, clinical assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and director of Stanford's Impulse Control Disorders Clinic.

Other co-authors include Hugh Brent Solvason, MD, assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences; Nona Gamel, clinical research manager; and Emily Smith, clinical research coordinator.

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