Transcriptomic signatures of treatment response to the combination of escitalopram and memantine or placebo in late-life depression.

Drugs that target glutamate neuronal transmission, such as memantine, offer a novel approach to the treatment of late-life depression, which is frequently comorbid with cognitive impairment. The results of our recently published double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of escitalopram or escitalopram/memantine in late-life depression with subjective memory complaints (NCT01902004) indicated no differences between treatments in depression remission, but additional benefits in cognition at 12-month follow-up with combination treatment. To identify pathways and biological functions uniquely induced by combination treatment that may explain cognitive improvements, we generated transcriptional profiles of remission compared with non-remission from whole blood samples.

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

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).

Distinct Patterns of Neural Habituation and Generalization in Children and Adolescents With Autism With Low and High Sensory Overresponsivity.

Objective: Sensory overresponsivity (SOR), an atypical negative reaction to sensory stimuli, is highly prevalent in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Previous work has related SOR to increased brain response in sensory-limbic regions. This study investigated where these atypical responses fall in three fundamental stages of sensory processing: arousal (i.