Authors

Weintraub, Daniel, Rosenberg, Paul B., Drye, Lea T., Martin, Barbara K., Frangakis, Constantine, Mintzer, Jacobo E., Porsteinsson, Anton P., Schneider, Lon S., Rabins, Peter V., Munro, Cynthia A., Meinert, Curtis L., Lyketsos, Constantine G.

Journal

The American Journal Of Geriatric Psychiatry: Official Journal Of The American Association For Geriatric Psychiatry, Volume: 18, No.: 4, Pages.: 332-340

Year of Publication

2010

Abstract

Background: Depression and antidepressant use are common in Alzheimer disease (AD), but the effect of antidepressant treatment for depression on longer term outcomes is unknown. The authors report the Week-24 outcomes of patients who participated in a 12-week efficacy study of sertraline for depression of AD.; Methods: One hundred thirty-one participants (sertraline = 67, placebo = 64) with mild-moderate AD and depression participated in the study. Patients who showed improvement on the modified Alzheimer’s Disease Cooperative Study Clinical Global Impression-Change (mADCS-CGIC) after 12 weeks of randomized treatment with sertraline or placebo continued double-blinded treatment for an additional 12 weeks. Depression response and remission at 24 weeks were based on mADCS-CGIC score and change in Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia (CSDD) score. Secondary outcome measures included time to remission, nonmood neuropsychiatric symptoms, global cognition, function, and quality of life.; Results: One hundred seventeen (89.3%) participants completed all study assessments and 74 (56.5%; sertraline = 38, placebo = 36) completed all 24 weeks on randomized treatment. By 24 weeks, there were no between-group differences in depression response (sertraline = 44.8%, placebo = 35.9%; odds ratio [95% CI] = 1.23 [0.64-2.35]), change in CSDD score (median difference = 0.6 [95% CI: -2.26 to 3.46], chi2 [df = 2] = 1.03), remission rates (sertraline = 32.8%, placebo = 21.8%; odds ratio [95% CI] = 1.61 [0.70-3.68]), or secondary outcomes. Common selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor-associated adverse events, specifically diarrhea, dizziness, and dry mouth, and pulmonary serious adverse events were more frequent in sertraline-randomized patients than in placebo subjects.; Conclusions: Sertraline treatment is not associated with delayed improvement between 12 and 24 weeks of treatment and may not be indicated for the treatment of depression of AD.;

Bibtex Citation

@article{Weintraub_2010, doi = {10.1097/jgp.0b013e3181cc0333}, url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/JGP.0b013e3181cc0333}, year = 2010, month = {apr}, publisher = {Elsevier {BV}}, volume = {18}, number = {4}, pages = {332--340}, author = {Daniel Weintraub and Paul B. Rosenberg and Barbara K. Martin and Constantine Frangakis and Jacobo E. Mintzer and Anton P. Porsteinsson and Lon S. Schneider and Cynthia A. Munro and Curtis L. Meinert and Constantine G. Lyketsos and Lea T. Drye and Peter V. Rabins}, title = {Sertraline for the Treatment of Depression in Alzheimer Disease: Week-24 Outcomes}, journal = {The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry} }