Summary: A new study based on data from 18,740 dementia patients suggests that antidepressants may accelerate cognitive decline. The researchers found that patients taking antidepressants, particularly SSRIs such as escitalopram, citalopram and sertraline, experienced faster degradation compared to patients not receiving medication.
Depression itself can exacerbate dementia symptoms, but this finding highlights the need for more customized antidepressant choices in dementia care. Future studies will investigate whether specific dementia types or biomarkers affect how patients respond to different antidepressants.
Important facts
Fast cognitive decline: Patients with antidepressant dementia showed greater cognitive degradation over time. SSRI impact: Escitalopram, citalopram, and sertraline were associated with the fastest reductions, whereas mirtazapine was required for individualized care. It may be better or worse for certain antidepressants.
Source: Karolinska Institute
New research suggests that antidepressants can accelerate cognitive decline in people with dementia. At the same time, some drugs appear to be less harmful than others, and according to a study published in BMC Medicine, it could help doctors make better treatment decisions.
Antidepressants are often used to relieve symptoms such as anxiety, depression, aggression and sleep disorders in people with dementia.
However, a new observational study based on data from the Swedish Dementia Registry (SVEDEM) shows that patients with dementia treated with antidepressants suffer from increased cognitive decline compared to patients not receiving this drug. It shows you to experience.
This study was based on a comprehensive analysis of registry data from 18,740 patients, of which approximately 23% were treated with antidepressants. Over the course of the study, a total of 11,912 antidepressants were enrolled, with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) accounting for 65%.
“Depressive symptoms can worsen cognitive decline and impair quality of life, so it is important to treat them. Our results suggest that doctors and other healthcare professionals have a strong sense of dementia. It helps you choose the right antidepressant for your patients,” says Sara Garcia Ptacek, a researcher at the Carolinska Institute, Neurobiology, Care Science and Society.
Researchers at the Karolinska Institute and Sargrenska University Hospital in Gothenburg continue to develop patients over time, comparing different types of antidepressants with medicinal and non-disease groups and non-scientific groups. .
It is currently impossible to determine whether cognitive impairment is due to drugs or depressive symptoms themselves, but researchers have been able to see that antidepressants are associated with increased cognitive decline. Ta.
Differences between drugs
This study also shows differences between different drugs. SSRI Escititalopram is associated with the fastest cognitive decline, followed by SSRIS CITILOPRAM and SERTRALINE.
Mirtazapine, which has different mechanisms of action, had lower cognitive effects than escitalopram.
Researchers now want to investigate whether a particular group of patients, such as a specific dementia type or biomarker, responds to different antidepressants at better, but worse.
“The goal is to find these subgroups and create more personalized care,” says Sara Garcia Ptacek.
Funding: This study is funded by the Swedish Research Council, Regional Stockholm, Swedish Dementia Research Foundation, Alzheimer’s Disease Foundation, and new innovative road calls. The researchers report no conflict of interest.
About this psychopharmacology and cognitive research news
Author: Press Office
Source: Karolinska Institute
Contact: Press Office – Karolinska Institute
Image: Image credited to Neuroscience News
Original study: Findings will be published in BMC Medicine
