Depression Management in Alzheimer’s Disease
Summary
Depression affects up to half of people living with Alzheimer’s disease and contributes to poorer quality of life, accelerated cognitive decline and increased caregiver burden. Management strategies span pharmacological treatments, psychological therapies and integrated care approaches. Antidepressant medications are commonly prescribed, but their efficacy and safety profiles in Alzheimer’s disease remain variable. Psychological interventions, including tailored problem‐solving therapies and behavioural activation, offer non‐pharmacological options that may improve mood and daily functioning. Emerging frameworks emphasise personalised care plans that integrate pharmacotherapy, psychosocial support and lifestyle modifications such as exercise and cognitive stimulation. Attention to comorbidities, regular monitoring of mood and cognition, and collaboration among neurologists, psychiatrists and therapists are critical for optimising outcomes and minimising adverse effects.
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Depression Management in Alzheimer’s Disease publication trend
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Technical terms
Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia (CSDD): A clinician‐rated instrument assessing signs and symptoms of depression in people with dementia.
Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE): A brief screening tool used to evaluate global cognitive function and track changes over time.
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs): A class of antidepressant drugs that enhance serotonergic neurotransmission by blocking serotonin reuptake.
Standardized uptake value ratio (SUVR): A quantitative measure in PET imaging comparing the radiotracer concentration in a target region to a reference region.
Problem Adaptation Therapy (PATH): A home-based psychosocial intervention designed to reduce depressive symptoms by teaching adaptive strategies and environmental modifications.
References
- Adapted problem adaptation therapy for depression in mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease dementia: A randomized controlled trial. Alzheimer's & Dementia (2024).
- Antidepressant use and cognitive decline in patients with dementia: a national cohort study. BMC Medicine (2025).
- Translating clinical notes into quantitative measures—a real-world observation on the response to cholinesterase inhibitors or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors prescribed to outpatients with dementia using electronic medical records. Frontiers in Pharmacology (2023).
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