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.
© 2018 S. Karger AG, Basel.