Importance of Proactive Treatment of Depression in Lewy Body Dementias: The Impact on Hippocampal Neurogenesis and Cognition in a Post-Mortem Study

• <b><i>Objective:</i></b> To examine the impact of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and depression on neurogenesis and cognition in dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and Parkinson disease dementia (PDD). <b><i>Methods:</i></b> Late-stage progenitor cells were quantified in the subgranular zone (SGZ) of the hippocampal dentate gyrus of DLB/PDD patients (<i>n</i> = 41) and controls without dementia (<i>n</i> = 15) and compared between treatment groups (unmedicated, SSRIs, acetyl cholinesterase inhibitors [AChEIs], combined SSRIs and AChEIs). <b><i>Results:</i></b> DLB/PDD patients had more doublecortin-positive cells in the SGZ compared to controls. The doublecortin-positive cell count was higher in the SGZ of patients treated with SSRIs and correlated to higher cognitive scores. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> SSRI treatment was associated with increased hippocampal neurogenesis and preservation of cognition in DLB/PDD patients.

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