Patient predictors of response to treatment of depression in Alzheimer's disease: the DIADS study.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate patient predictors of response to treatment of Major Depressive Episode (MDE) in Alzheimer's disease (AD).


METHODS
Forty-four outpatients with AD and MDE were randomized to receive either sertraline or placebo in a 12-week placebo-controlled, flexible-dose clinical trial after a one week single-blind placebo phase. All participants were evaluated for depression at entry using the 21-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) and the Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia (CSDD). All subjects completed baseline neuropsychological testing. Caregiver burden and depression were also measured. The forty-two subjects who completed at least one post-enrollment follow-up visit were included in the analysis.


RESULTS
No baseline demographic, mood, neuropsychiatric, neuropsychological, or caregiver variable was a statistically significant predictor of response to treatment. There were trends for African-American patients (p=0.07) and those with milder baseline agitation/aggression (p=0.08) to respond better.


CONCLUSIONS
No baseline characteristic assessed clearly predicts response to treatment of MDE in AD. A diverse population of depressed AD patients may thus respond similarly to the same treatment.
Steinberg
Martin
M
Division of Geriatric Psychiatry and Neuropsychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA. martins@jhmi.edu
Munro
Cynthia A
CA
Samus
Quincy
Q
V Rabins
Peter
P
Brandt
Jason
J
Lyketsos
Constantine G
CG
D000368:Aged; D000374:Aggression / Q000523:psychology; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000523:psychology*; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017028:Caregivers; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011595:Psychomotor Agitation / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D020280:Sertraline / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D020280:Sertraline