Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2012 Dec;20(12):1036-44.
doi: 10.1097/JGP.0b013e31826ce4c5.

Cognitive outcomes after sertaline treatment in patients with depression of Alzheimer disease

Cynthia A Munro  1 , Crystal Flynn Longmire, Lea T Drye, Barbara K Martin, Constantine E Frangakis, Curtis L Meinert, Jacobo E Mintzer, Anton P Porsteinsson, Peter V Rabins, Paul B Rosenberg, Lon S Schneider, Daniel Weintraub, Constantine G Lyketsos; Depression in Alzheimer’s Disease Study–2 Research Group
Collaborators, Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Cognitive outcomes after sertaline treatment in patients with depression of Alzheimer disease

Cynthia A Munro et al. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2012 Dec.

Abstract

Objectives: Although many depressed patients with Alzheimer disease (AD) are treated with antidepressants, the effect of such treatment on cognitive performance in these patients is not known. The authors report cognitive outcomes in patients with depression of AD (dAD) after a 24-week trial of sertraline or placebo.

Design: Placebo-controlled, randomized, double-blind trial.

Setting: Outpatient memory clinics at five academic medical centers in the United States.

Participants: A total of 131 patients with dAD (60 men) and Mini-Mental State Examination scores of 10-26.

Intervention: Sertraline (n = 67), target dose of 100 mg daily or matching placebo (n = 64). Caregivers received standardized psychosocial intervention throughout the trial.

Measurements: Mini-Mental State Examination, cognitive subscale of the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale, letter fluency, backward digit span, Symbol Digit Modalities Test, and Finger Tapping Test, administered at baseline, and 8, 16, and 24 weeks following baseline.

Results: A series of linear models indicated no effect of treatment or of depression remission on cognitive test performance at 24 weeks. Regardless of treatment condition, very little change in cognitive test performance was noted in general.

Conclusions: Treatment with sertraline in patients with dAD is not associated with greater improvement in cognition at week 24 than treatment with placebo.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest

These disclosures include any anticipated conflicts through 9/31/11, according to the DIADS-2 Conflict of Interest Policy (available upon request from the study PI).

  1. Barbara Martin is involved in another trial for which Pfizer donated a different drug.

  2. Paul Rosenberg has received research funds from Pfizer and Merck in amounts greater than $10,000.

  3. Jacobo Mintzer is a current grant recipient for Wyeth, Lilly and Pfizer.

  4. Daniel Weintraub has received research support from Boehringer Ingelheim; Dr. Weintraub also has been a paid consultant for Acadia Pharmaceuticals, Novartis Pharmaceuticals, Boehringer Ingelheim, Osmotica Pharmaceutical, BrainCells Inc., EMD Serono, and Sanofi Aventis, and has participated on a Speaker’s Bureau for Pfizer.

  5. Anton Porsteinsson is involved in research sponsored by Pfizer to study donepezil and PF04494700, Eli Lilly to study atomoxetine, a gamma-secretase inhibitor and a beta amyloid antibody, Wyeth to study a beta amyloid antibody, GSK to study a PPAR inhibitor and Forest to study memantine and neramexane; Dr. Porsteinsson has been a paid consultant and participated on a Speaker's Bureau for Pfizer and Forest.

  6. Lon S. Schneider is involved in research sponsored by Pfizer, the manufacturer of sertraline and other drugs used to treat mood disorders; Dr. Schneider has been a paid consultant for Abbott, AstraZeneca, Eli Lilly, Forest, GlaxoSmithKline, Johnson and Johnson, Lundbeck, Merck, and Wyeth, manufacturers of antidepressants or drugs used to treat mood disorders.

  7. Constantine Frangakis has no conflict of interests.

  8. Lea Drye has no conflict of interests.

  9. Peter Rabins has participated on Speaker's Bureaus for Wyeth, Eli Lilly, and Pfizer more than two years previous. He has provided legal testimony for Janssen Pharmaceutica.

  10. Cynthia Munro has no conflict of interests.

  11. Curtis Meinert is involved in another trial for which Pfizer donated a different drug; Dr. Meinert owns shares of GSK stock.

  12. Constantine Lyketsos was involved in another trial for which Pfizer donated a different drug; he also was involved in research sponsored by Forest to study escitalopram and citalopram and Pfizer to study sertraline and donepezil; Dr. Lyketsos served as a consultant for Organon, Eisai, GSK, Lilly, Wyeth, and Pfizer.

References

    1. Lee HB, Lyketsos CG. Depression in Alzheimer's disease: heterogeneity and related issues. Biol Psychiatry. 2003;54(3):353–362. - PubMed
    1. Alexopoulos GS, Kiosses DN, Klimstra S, et al. Clinical presentation of the "depression-executive dysfunction syndrome" of late life. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2002;10(1):98–106. - PubMed
    1. Cui X, Lyness JM, Tu X, et al. Does depression precede or follow executive dysfunction? Outcomes in older primary care patients. Am J Psychiatry. 2007;164(8):1221–1228. - PubMed
    1. Elderkin-Thompson V, Kumar A, Bilker WB, et al. Neuropsychological deficits among patients with late-onset minor and major depression. Arch Clin Neuropsychol. 2003;18:529–549. - PubMed
    1. Munro CA, Brandt J, Sheppard JM, et al. Cognitive response to pharmacological treatment for depression in Alzheimer disease: secondary outcomes from the depression in Alzheimer's disease study (DIADS) Am J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2004;12(5):491–498. - PubMed

Publication types