Does the Use of Antidepressants Accelerate the Disease Progress in Creutzfeldt –Jakob Disease Patients With Depression? A Case Report and A Systematic Review

Conclusions: The use of antidepressants, especially SNRIs, was associated with a shorter survival time of sCJD patients. The possible changes in neurotransmitters should be emphasized. Scientifically, this study may provide insights into the mechanism of CJD. Clinically, it may contribute to the early diagnosis of CJD.IntroductionDepression is common in the elderly. Its prevalence rate is as high as 11.19%, and this increases progressively with worsening cognitive impairment (1). The presence of depression is an acknowledged risk factor for dementia (2); it can even double the risk for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) (3, 4). Many reasons lie behind the prescription of antidepressant drugs, which increased dramatically from 1999 to 2014 (5). However, some studies have questioned whether antidepressants confer any benefits in terms of cognitive decline (6–9). Recently, a meta-analysis indicated that antidepressant usage was associated with AD/dementia (10). Tricyclic antidepressants (TCA) may be associated with a reduced risk (11) or no risk of dementia (12) for depressed patients, whereas nonselective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) antidepressant drugs, including monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors, and serotonin and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) have been reported to possess an intermediate risk (11–13).Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease (CJD), a fatal neurodegenerative disorder characterized by rapidly progressive dementia, is divided into the s...
Source: Frontiers in Psychiatry - Category: Psychiatry Source Type: research