Treatment of depression in Alzheimer’s disease

Several studies have shown that depression is a risk factor for the development of Alzheimer’s disease. Further, depressive symptoms can increase symptom severity (e.g., memory decline and executive dysfunction) and reduce the quality of life in patients with Alzheimer’s disease. Accordingly, this chapter attempts to review existing literature on several existing behavioral and pharmacological treatments for depression in Alzheimer’s disease. Based on our review of the literature, we provide evidence that behavioral treatments are more effective than most pharmacological therapies at managing depression in Alzheimer’s disease. Future research should investigate the mechanism by which behavioral treatments can exert their therapeutic effect.