Sertraline May Improve Function in Dementia

High-dose therapy with the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) Sertraline resulted in statistically and clinically significant improvement in isolated impaired executive function in older patients.

Among 37 patients treated, 23 (62.1%) had clinically meaningful improvement, defined as a decrease of more than three points on the EXIT25 measure of executive function. Thirteen patients met EXIT25 criteria for clinical remission, according to results of a small retrospective study.

"Our mean improvement [on the EXIT25] is almost six points, which is the difference between two levels of care in a retirement community," said Donald R. Royall, M.D., of the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.

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