Study: Antidepressants could reduce signs of Alzheimer’s disease

PHILADELPHIA — Perhaps there is a silver lining in this depressing year of coronavirus, natural disasters and social upheaval.

A new study from a Penn researcher adds to evidence that a class of antidepressant drugs known as SSRIs may reduce production of a key protein found in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease. This is evidence, she said, that the drugs could someday be part of a cocktail used to prevent or delay this form of dementia.

“I certainly wouldn’t argue that people should convince themselves that they should start taking SSRI’s for this reason,” said Yvette Sheline, author of the study published this month in the journal Neurology.

On the other hand, if you’re already taking SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors), this may be an added reason to feel comfortable with your choice.

“Maybe it’s a twofer,” said Sheline, a psychiatrist who directs Penn’s Center for Neuromodulation in Depression and Stress.

Americans have reported worsening mental health during the pandemic. A study earlier this year found prescriptions for drugs used to treat anxiety and depression had increased.

Sheline’s team looked at how doses of escitalopram (Lexapro) affected levels of the protein amyloid in the spinal fluid of healthy adults aged 50 and up. Participants did not have symptoms of dementia or serious depression. Previous work had found decreased levels of the protein in younger adults who took the drug.

Abnormal clumps of amyloid in the brain are a hallmark pathological sign of Alzheimer’s disease.

After two to eight weeks of treatment, participants who took the drug had 9.4% less spinal fluid amyloid than those who took a placebo.