The antidepressant drug citalopram may slow the process of the formation of amyloid plaques that lead to Alzheimer’s disease, according to a study published in Science Translational Medicine.
Scientists from the University of Washington in St. Louis and the University of Pennsylvania found that citalopram stopped the development of amyloid plaques in rodents programmed to develop dementia and reduced it by 37 percent in healthy individuals. production of beta amyloid, the main component of plaques.
In 2011, researchers tested the effects of various antidepressants in mice that model the development of Alzheimer’s disease. Even before the appearance of the first amyloid plaques, antidepressants reduced the production of beta amyloid by 25 percent.
In a new study, citalopram was given to older mice, and its effect on the formation of senile plaques was observed for 28 days. It turned out then that the development of the existing lamellae slowed down, and the number of new ones was 78 percent. smaller compared to the control group of rodents.
The researchers then gave one dose of citalopram to 23 people aged 18 to 50 who were not diagnosed with any disorders, including depression. After examining the cerebrospinal fluid, it was found that beta amyloid production decreased by 24% over the next 37 hours.
Previous studies have indicated that antidepressants keep serotonin active, which reduces the production of beta amyloid in the brain. However, establishing the exact mechanism of action requires many subsequent analyzes.
Although antidepressants are generally well tolerated, there is some risk of side effects from taking them. Before we can provide solid evidence that these drugs slow down the development of Alzheimer’s disease in humans, it is not worth taking the risk and needlessly taking them on your own, emphasizes Dr. John Cirrito, the author of the study.