Antidepressants for treating depression among older adults with dementia: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Publisher DOI
PubMed ID
39163819
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Depression and dementia represent significant health challenges in older adults. Despite guidelines recommending antidepressants, their efficacy in depressed patients with dementia remains undetermined.
OBJECTIVE
This review, in following a living systematic review approach, primarily aims to determine the effect of any-type antidepressant on the level of depressive symptoms in older adults with dementia and secondly if there is an effect of any-type antidepressants on cognitive state, quality of life, and functionality in the old-age population with dementia.
METHODS
Systematic review and meta-analysis of RCTs from Medline, Embase, and Cochrane Register. Participants were ≥65 years, with both depression and any type of dementia. Certainty-of-Evidence was assessed through the Cochrane Risk-of-Bias tool and GRADE. Analysis involved standardized mean difference, with 95 % confidence-intervals (CIs).
FINDINGS
Of the 27,771 screened articles, 8 studies (617 participants), treated with SSRI, SSNRI, atypical, and tricyclic antidepressants were retained for quantitative synthesis. No evidence for an effect was found (SMD -0.10 [-0.26, 0.07]), nor when subgrouped based on depression severity or dementia level, nor for secondary outcomes.
INTERPRETATION
This review did not find evidence of a clinical effect of antidepressants for treating depression in older adults with dementia. Methodological challenges might contribute to this finding.
Depression and dementia represent significant health challenges in older adults. Despite guidelines recommending antidepressants, their efficacy in depressed patients with dementia remains undetermined.
OBJECTIVE
This review, in following a living systematic review approach, primarily aims to determine the effect of any-type antidepressant on the level of depressive symptoms in older adults with dementia and secondly if there is an effect of any-type antidepressants on cognitive state, quality of life, and functionality in the old-age population with dementia.
METHODS
Systematic review and meta-analysis of RCTs from Medline, Embase, and Cochrane Register. Participants were ≥65 years, with both depression and any type of dementia. Certainty-of-Evidence was assessed through the Cochrane Risk-of-Bias tool and GRADE. Analysis involved standardized mean difference, with 95 % confidence-intervals (CIs).
FINDINGS
Of the 27,771 screened articles, 8 studies (617 participants), treated with SSRI, SSNRI, atypical, and tricyclic antidepressants were retained for quantitative synthesis. No evidence for an effect was found (SMD -0.10 [-0.26, 0.07]), nor when subgrouped based on depression severity or dementia level, nor for secondary outcomes.
INTERPRETATION
This review did not find evidence of a clinical effect of antidepressants for treating depression in older adults with dementia. Methodological challenges might contribute to this finding.
Date Issued
2024-10
Publication Type
Article
Subject(s)
Subjects
Antidepressants Dementia Depression Mood disorder Neurocognitive disorder
Language(s)
en
Author(s)
Tobias, Sebastian | |
Mühlbauer, Viktoria | |
Dallmeier, Dhayana | |
Denkinger, Michael | |
Schönfeldt-Lecuona, Carlos |
Additional Credits
Journal
Psychiatry research
Publisher
Elsevier
ISSN
0165-1781
Access(Rights)
open.access