A systematic review and meta-analysis on the efficacy outcomes of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors in depression in Alzheimer’s disease

Background Depressive symptoms are the most common neuropsychiatric symptoms in patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). However, despite being common, no definite consensus recommendations exist for the management of depression in AD. Objective To assess the effects of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) on the alleviation of depressive symptoms in patients with AD. Material and methods Medline, Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and PsychINFO were electronically searched from inception until October 2022. Response to therapy and mean depression scores between the treatment (or before) and placebo (or after) groups were the primary outcomes. For depression scores, the standard mean deviation and accompanying 95% confidence interval were determined. The risk of bias was determined using the funnel plot, trim and fill, Egger’s and Begg’s analyses. Results SSRIs attenuated depressive symptoms in patients with AD (0.905 SMD, 95%CI, 0.689 to 1.121, p < 0.000). At individual SSRI level, escitalopram, paroxetine, and sertraline significantly alleviated depressive symptoms in AD patients (0.813 SMD, 95%CI, 0.207 to 1.419, p = 0.009, 1.244 SMD, 95%CI, 0.939 to 1.548, p < 0.000, and 0.818 SMD, 95%CI, 0.274 to 1.362, p < 0.000). The funnel plot, trim and fill, Begg’s test ( p = 0.052), and Egger’s test ( p = 0.148), showed no significant risk of publication bias. Conclusion Our meta-analysis supports the use of SSRIs for the alleviation of depression in patients with AD. However, we recommend larger randomized clinical trials that would compare the efficacy of different SSRIs in AD patients with depression.