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Cited by 61Treatment of Major DepressionDementia and Cognitive Impairment ResearchAnxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes

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A Randomized Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Trial of Combined Escitalopram and Memantine for Older Adults With Major Depression and Subjective Memory Complaints

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Lavretsky, Helen, Laird, Kelsey T., Krause-Sorio, Beatrix, Heimberg, Brandon F., Yeargin, Jillian, Grzenda, Adrienne, Wu, Pauline, Thana-Udom, Kitikan, Ercoli, Linda M., Siddarth, Prabha·2020·The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry
DOI 10.1016/j.jagp.2019.08.011PMC PMC6997044
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Abstract

Objective Geriatric depression is difficult to treat and frequently accompanied by cognitive complaints that increase risk for dementia. New treatment strategies targeting both depression and cognition are urgently needed. Methods We conducted a 6-month double-blind placebo-controlled trial to assess the efficacy and tolerability of escitalopram + memantine (ESC/MEM) compared to escitalopram + placebo (ESC/PBO) for improving mood and cognitive functioning in depressed older adults with subjective memory complaints (NCT01902004). Primary outcome was change in depression as assessed by the HAM-D post-treatment (at 6 months). Remission was defined as HAM-D ≤6; naturalistic follow-up continued until 12 months. Results Of the 95 randomized participants, 62 completed the 6-month assessment. Dropout and tolerability did not differ between groups. Mean daily escitalopram dose was 11.1 mg (SD = 3.7; range: 5-20 mg). Mean daily memantine dose was 19.3 mg (SD = 2.6; range 10-20 mg). Remission rate within ESC/MEM was 45.8% and 47.9%, compared to 38.3% and 31.9% in ESC/PBO, at 3 and 6 months, respectively (χ 2(1) = 2.0, p = 0.15). Both groups improved significantly on the HAM-D at 3, 6, and 12 months, with no observed between-group differences. ESC/MEM demonstrated greater improvement in delayed recall (F(2,82) = 4.3, p = 0.02) and executive functioning (F(2,82) = 5.1, p = 0.01) at 12 months compared to ESC/PBO. Conclusions The combination of memantine with escitalopram was well tolerated and as effective as escitalopram and placebo in improving depression using HAM-D. Combination memantine and escitalopram was significantly more effective than escitalopram and placebo in improving cognitive outcomes at 12 months. Future reports will address the role of biomarkers of aging in treatment response.

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  • In a RCT (n = 95) among older adults with major depression and memory complaints, a combination of memantine and escitalopram significantly improved delayed recall and executive functioning at 12 months.

    “In a RCT (n = 95) among older adults with major depression and memory complains, a combination of memantine and escitalopram significantly improved delayed recall and executive functioning at 12 months [58].”

    From Antidepressant use and cognitive decline in patients with dementia: a national cohort study (2025) · cites this paper as [58]

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Metadata

Authors
Lavretsky, H., Laird, K. T., Krause-Sorio, B., Heimberg, B. F., Yeargin, J., Grzenda, A., Wu, P., Thana-Udom, K., Ercoli, L. M., & Siddarth, P.
Affiliations
University of California, Los Angeles (US)
Corresponding author
Lavretsky, Helen
ORCID
Venue
The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2020-02
Volume
28
Issue
2
Pages
178-190
ISSN
1064-7481 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1016/j.jagp.2019.08.011
PMC
PMC6997044
OpenAlex
W2969342124
Cited by
61
References
16
Citations by year
2026: 3 · 2025: 8 · 2024: 11 · 2023: 10 · 2022: 10 · 2021: 9 · 2020: 9
FWCI
4.15
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
  • eScholarship (California Digital Library) (submittedVersion)
Funders
National Institute of Mental Health
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pharmacology (medical) › Treatment of Major Depression
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Dementia and Cognitive Impairment Research
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
Keywords
geriatric depression, major depressive disorder, subjective memory complaints, escitalopram, memantine, combination therapy, cognitive function, executive function, delayed recall, depression remission, older adults, dementia risk
MeSH terms
Aged, Major Depressive Disorder, Double-Blind Method, Drug Therapy, Combination, Female, Humans, Male, Memantine, Memory, Psychiatric Status Rating Scales, Citalopram, Treatment Outcome, Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors

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