Inclusion Criteria:

• Dementia of Alzheimer’s type with behavioral disturbance
• Mild to severe cognitive impairment
• Age over 60
• Medically stable
• Agitation present both at screening and baseline
• Agitation not responsive to simple nonpharmacologic interventions and lasting at least 2 weeks prior to enrollment.
• Available Health Care Proxy or other legal representative to give informed consent, and patient assent.
• No planned change in environment for duration of study
• At least one reliable caregiver

Exclusion Criteria:

• Any intercurrent medical problem that could explain the agitation
• History of major depression or bipolar preceding the onset of dementia
• Other major psychiatric illness preceding the onset of dementia or mental retardation
• Other dementias
• History of alcohol abuse or dependence in the last 2 years
• Delirium (or history of delirium in the last 8 weeks)
• Treatment with other psychotropic drugs except those permitted in the protocol. Patients already treated for agitation with psychotropic medication must be able to successfully discontinue it and tolerate a washout period of no less than 1 week.
• Treatment with non-psychotropic, centrally active drugs believed to contribute to patient’s agitation.
• Severe psychiatric symptoms requiring psychiatric hospitalization or suicidal, homicidal potential.
• History of intolerance to citalopram
• Noncompliance with oral medication or inability to take oral medication
• Modified Hachinski score of 4 or greater