November 1, 1991Journal of Gerontology
Imipramine in the Treatment of Depressed Alzheimer's Patients: Impact on Cognition
Why the study?
Does imipramine impact cognitive function in patients with Alzheimer's disease?
Population
61 patients with Alzheimer's disease (28 with coexistent depression and dementia; 33 with dementia only)
Comparison
Imipramine for 8 weeks vs Placebo
Design
RCT, Randomly assigned, Double-blind
Follow-up
8 weeks
Authors
Discussion
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Implication
Imipramine warrants caution in Alzheimer's; extends RCT evidence against tricyclic use in dementia.
Key Points
- To evaluate the impact of the antidepressant imipramine on cognitive function and memory in Alzheimer's disease patients with and without coexistent depression.
- Double-blind randomized trial involving 61 patients with Alzheimer's disease, including 28 with coexistent depression and dementia and 33 with dementia alone.
- Participants were randomly assigned to receive an 8-week course of either imipramine (evaluated at low doses of 25 mg daily) or placebo.
- Imipramine exerted a minimal overall cognitive effect in both depressed and nondepressed participants, though a subtle decrement in general cognitive function was observed relative to placebo.
- No measurable treatment-related differences or adverse effects were detected in memory performance between the groups.
Structured PICO
Does imipramine impact cognitive function in patients with Alzheimer's disease?
P
Population
61 patients with Alzheimer's disease (28 with coexistent depression and dementia; 33 with dementia only)
I
Intervention
Imipramine for 8 weeks (clinicians advised very low doses of 25 mg/daily may be tolerated)
C
Comparator
Placebo
O
Outcome
Impact on cognitive functionsurrogate
Imipramine has minimal benefit and may cause a subtle decrement in cognitive function in patients with Alzheimer's disease, warranting careful monitoring if used.
Cite This Study
Teri et al. (1991) studied this question.