title: Is antidepressant treatment associated with reduced cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although antidepressant drugs (ATD) are frequently prescribed to patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD), their effect on cognitive status has been only rarely assessed.
  
  
  METHODS
  The impact of depressive symptoms and ATD on cognitive status was retrospectively assessed in 72 older AD outpatients with mild-to-moderate cognitive impairment, treated with cholinesterase inhibitors, over a 9-month follow-up.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared to subjects without baseline depressive symptoms, those with symptoms who were continuously treated with ATD had less cognitive decline; those never treated, or not continuously treated despite baseline symptoms, had an intermediate trend. Such a protective action of ATD was, at least in part, independent of their action on depressive symptoms.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These observations suggest that ATD may reduce cognitive decline in depressed older AD patients.
authors: Department of Critical Care Medicine and Surgery, Unit of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, University of Florence and Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Careggi, Florence, Italy. enrico.mossello@unifi.it
authors: Enrico
authors: E
authors: Mossello
authors: Marta
authors: M
authors: Boncinelli
authors: Veronica
authors: V
authors: Caleri
authors: Maria Chiara
authors: MC
authors: Cavallini
authors: Eliana
authors: E
authors: Palermo
authors: Mauro
authors: M
authors: Di Bari
authors: Sabrina
authors: S
authors: Tilli
authors: Eva
authors: E
authors: Sarcone
authors: David
authors: D
authors: Simoni
authors: Carlo Adriano
authors: CA
authors: Biagini
authors: Giulio
authors: G
authors: Masotti
authors: Niccolò
authors: N
authors: Marchionni
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D003863:Depression / Q000188:drug therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents