Importance of Proactive Treatment of Depression in Lewy Body Dementias: The Impact on Hippocampal Neurogenesis and Cognition in a Post-Mortem Study

Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord. 2017;44(5-6):283-293. doi: 10.1159/000484437. Epub 2018 Jan 27.

Abstract

Objective: To examine the impact of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and depression on neurogenesis and cognition in dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and Parkinson disease dementia (PDD).

Methods: Late-stage progenitor cells were quantified in the subgranular zone (SGZ) of the hippocampal dentate gyrus of DLB/PDD patients (n = 41) and controls without dementia (n = 15) and compared between treatment groups (unmedicated, SSRIs, acetyl cholinesterase inhibitors [AChEIs], combined SSRIs and AChEIs).

Results: DLB/PDD patients had more doublecortin-positive cells in the SGZ compared to controls. The doublecortin-positive cell count was higher in the SGZ of patients treated with SSRIs and correlated to higher cognitive scores.

Conclusion: SSRI treatment was associated with increased hippocampal neurogenesis and preservation of cognition in DLB/PDD patients.

Keywords: Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors; Cognition; Dementia; Depression; Hippocampus; Neurogenesis; Post-mortem; Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Antidepressive Agents / therapeutic use
  • Autopsy
  • Cell Count
  • Cholinesterase Inhibitors / therapeutic use
  • Cognition*
  • Dentate Gyrus / drug effects
  • Dentate Gyrus / pathology
  • Depression / drug therapy*
  • Depression / etiology*
  • Depression / psychology
  • Doublecortin Domain Proteins
  • Female
  • Hippocampus / drug effects
  • Hippocampus / pathology*
  • Humans
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Lewy Body Disease / complications*
  • Lewy Body Disease / psychology
  • Male
  • Microtubule-Associated Proteins / metabolism
  • Neural Stem Cells
  • Neurogenesis / drug effects*
  • Neuropeptides / metabolism
  • Parkinson Disease / pathology
  • Parkinson Disease / psychology
  • Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / therapeutic use

Substances

  • Antidepressive Agents
  • Cholinesterase Inhibitors
  • Doublecortin Domain Proteins
  • Microtubule-Associated Proteins
  • Neuropeptides
  • Serotonin Uptake Inhibitors