SSRI's and the Rate of Progression From MCI to Dementia

This trial is investigating if serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) use in Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) patients will lead to a lower rate of progression to dementia. It's hypothesized that patients treated with an SSRI at the time of MCI diagnosis, without evidence of an active primary psychiatric condition other than neurocognitive disorder, will have a lower rate of progression to Alzheimer's disease dementia or to other types of dementia.

Whether SSRIs affect the progression of MCI to dementia is not well studied with longitudinal prospectively collected date. Any decrease in the incidence of the progression of MCI to Alzheimer's dementia would be beneficial to patients. This trial is investigating if serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) use in Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) patients will lead to a lower rate of progression to dementia. This is a retrospective study of prospectively collected longitudinal data in patients followed at the Cognitive and Memory Disorders Center from 2010-2019. There are 3 arms: (1) subjects with an initial diagnosis of MCI who were treated with an SSRI for at least one year prior to the diagnosis of MCI (2) subjects with an initial diagnosis of MCI who were started on an SSRI at the time of diagnosis and treated with it for at least 6 months after the diagnosis of MCI and (3) subjects without SSRI use. All the subjects have been evaluated based on a comprehensive standardized evaluation for the initial diagnosis and follow up over time. Chart reviews will be conducted on newly diagnosed MCI patients from 2010-2016 who have at least 2 years of annual follow up documented in their electronic medical record. Follow up visit notes through 2019 will be included in the review.