Could Antidepressant Slow Alzheimer's?
Researchers have begun to investigate citalopram, an antidepressant manufactured by Lundbeck, to determine if the drug can slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. Citalopram has been found to decrease the creation of a protein that binds together in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients and creates the plaques that cause the disease. The protein, known as beta-amyloid, has been shown in previous studies to play a part in memory loss and mental cognitive issues associated with the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.
A study led in part by Dr. John Cirrito, neurology professor at Washington University’s School of Medicine in St. Louis, found that citalopram lowered the production of beta-amyloid in both healthy humans and in mice bred to develop Alzheimer’s. “Antidepressants appear to be significantly reducing amyloid beta production, and that's exciting,” said Cirrito. “But while antidepressants generally are well tolerated, they have risks and side effects. Until we can more definitively prove that these drugs help slow or stop Alzheimer's in humans, the risks aren't worth it. There is still much more work to do.”
Other researchers have echoed Cirrito’s sentiments; while the research is exciting, it will take more time to understand the relationship between the antidepressant and the beta-amyloid. Researchers are still debating how much the reduction of beta-amyloid levels can actually slow the progression of the disease, the Tech Times says.
It is also important to note that antidepressants have side effects that are not fully understood when used for the treatment of Alzheimer’s patients. Dr. Lon Schneider, an Alzheimer’s specialist at USC who was not involved in the research, tells the Tech Times that more research needs to be completed and that Alzheimer’s patients shouldn’t begin taking antidepressants based on the study’s results. “People should not start popping citalopram or other antidepressants in the expectation that they will prevent Alzheimer's disease,” said Schneider. “They could be doing some substantial harm.”