Table 2.

Next steps for further research on depressive symptoms in the context of AD prevention.

▪ Delineation of symptoms of depression including subclinical symptoms, which specifically reflect initial signs of AD as opposed to symptoms of depression, which are unrelated to AD

▪ Prospective studies with antidepressive treatments and cognitive decline and dementia as primary outcomes

▪ Characterizing mechanisms of action of antidepressive compounds in the early stage of AD, including human studies (e.g. PET)

▪ Improvement of awareness in the larger research and eventually healthcare community that depressive symptoms are a risk factor and may be an early sign of future cognitive decline

AD Alzheimer’s disease, PET Positron-emission tomography.