Affiliations: [a] School for Mental Health and Neuroscience (MHeNS), Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands | [b] Department of Neurosurgery, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands | [c] Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
Correspondence:
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Correspondence to: Daniel L.A. van den Hove, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience (MHeNS), Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Universiteitssingel 50, 6229 ER, Maastricht, The Netherlands. Tel.: +31 (0)433884120; Fax: +31 (0)433671096; E-mail: d.vandenhove@maastrichtuniversity.nl.
Note: [1] These authors contributed equally to this work.
Abstract: Treatment of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) patients with the antidepressant fluoxetine is known to improve memory and cognitive function. However, the mechanisms underlying these effects are largely unknown. To unravel these mechanisms, we aimed to treat APPswe/PS1dE9 mice with fluoxetine. Unexpectedly, with time, an increased number of animals displayed seizure behavior and died. Although spontaneous behavioral seizures have been reported previously in this mouse model, the observation of seizures and death consequential to fluoxetine treatment is new. Our results warrant further research on the underlying mechanisms as this may refine the treatment of AD patients.
