Conditions: Alzheimer's Disease Depression
Keywords: Depression Alzheimer's Disease
Allocation: RANDOMIZED | Intervention model: PARALLEL
Enrollment: 5
Healthy volunteers: no

Brief summary:
This study will test the use of venlafaxine to treat the depression in Alzheimer's Disease. Venlafaxine works by increasing natural substances in the brain (serotonin and norepinephrine) that help maintain mental balance. Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the commonest neurodegenerative disease of aging and the cause of major financial and emotional burden to patients, families and caregivers, and society. Depression is a very common symptom of AD, affecting as many as 50% of patients over their illness. Depression in AD (Alzheimer's disease) contributes greatly to patient disability and caregiver distress. Neither psychosocial interventions nor psychotropic medications have proven effective to date for the treatment of depression in AD.Venlafaxine is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of major depression but it is not known whether or not it can help depression in Alzheimer's Disease.

Detailed description:

Arms:
arm 1: 225 mg daily over 12 weeks arm 2: None

Interventions: intervention 1: Placebo intervention 2: Venlafaxine
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: Capsule matching active drug to be taken once a day for 12 weeks intervention 2: 225 mg daily for 12 weeks

Protocol document: