Cortical Changes Associated with Depression and Antidepressant Use in Alzheimer and Lewy Body Dementia: An MRI Surface-based Morphometric Study

Depression in mild AD and LBD is associated with cortical thinning in prefrontal and temporal areas. The findings suggest that depressive symptoms in mild dementia could develop due to neurodegeneration in the same neural circuits that are critical for depression across different brain disorders. Antidepressant use in patients with mild AD and LBD is associated with parahippocampal thinning. Taken together with low efficacy of antidepressants in cognitively impaired patients and high risks of adverse events, our results suggest a need to re-evaluate the treatment approaches for depression and the role of antidepressants in patients with dementia.