Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32913022›Full record

ArticleNeurology2020

Effect of escitalopram on Aβ levels and plaque load in an Alzheimer mouse model.

John R Cirrito, Clare E Wallace, Ping Yan, Todd A Davis, Woodrow D Gardiner, Brookelyn M Doherty, Diana King, Carla M Yuede, Jin-Moo Lee, Yvette I Sheline

Open access · hybridAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Neurology, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 33 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
33citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
4.2field-weighted citation impact, top 5% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

33 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 59 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Trial
  3. Neurotransmitter Systems in Alzheimer's Disease.Current issues in molecular biology · 2026
    Review
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Review
  8. Review
  9. Article
  10. Review
  11. Therapeutic modulation of neurogenesis to improve hippocampal plasticity and cognition in aging and Alzheimer's disease.Neurotherapeutics : the journal of the American Society for Experimental NeuroTherapeutics · 2025
    Review
  12. Review
  13. Review
  14. Review
  15. Review
  16. Review
  17. Metabolomic and lipidomic signatures in autosomal dominant and late-onset Alzheimer's disease brains.Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association · 2023
    Article
  18. Review
  19. Review
  20. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

John R CirritoFrom the Department of Neurology (J.R.C., T.A.D., W.D.G., B.M.D., D.K., C.M.Y., J.-M.L.), The Knight Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO; Center for Neuromodulation in Depression and Stress, Department of Psychiatry (C.E.W., P.Y., Y.I.S.), and Departments of Psychiatry, Radiology, and Neurology (Y.I.S.), University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia. cirritoj@wustl.edu.
Clare E WallaceFrom the Department of Neurology (J.R.C., T.A.D., W.D.G., B.M.D., D.K., C.M.Y., J.-M.L.), The Knight Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO; Center for Neuromodulation in Depression and Stress, Department of Psychiatry (C.E.W., P.Y., Y.I.S.), and Departments of Psychiatry, Radiology, and Neurology (Y.I.S.), University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.
Ping YanFrom the Department of Neurology (J.R.C., T.A.D., W.D.G., B.M.D., D.K., C.M.Y., J.-M.L.), The Knight Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO; Center for Neuromodulation in Depression and Stress, Department of Psychiatry (C.E.W., P.Y., Y.I.S.), and Departments of Psychiatry, Radiology, and Neurology (Y.I.S.), University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.
Todd A DavisFrom the Department of Neurology (J.R.C., T.A.D., W.D.G., B.M.D., D.K., C.M.Y., J.-M.L.), The Knight Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO; Center for Neuromodulation in Depression and Stress, Department of Psychiatry (C.E.W., P.Y., Y.I.S.), and Departments of Psychiatry, Radiology, and Neurology (Y.I.S.), University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.
Woodrow D GardinerFrom the Department of Neurology (J.R.C., T.A.D., W.D.G., B.M.D., D.K., C.M.Y., J.-M.L.), The Knight Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO; Center for Neuromodulation in Depression and Stress, Department of Psychiatry (C.E.W., P.Y., Y.I.S.), and Departments of Psychiatry, Radiology, and Neurology (Y.I.S.), University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.
Brookelyn M DohertyFrom the Department of Neurology (J.R.C., T.A.D., W.D.G., B.M.D., D.K., C.M.Y., J.-M.L.), The Knight Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO; Center for Neuromodulation in Depression and Stress, Department of Psychiatry (C.E.W., P.Y., Y.I.S.), and Departments of Psychiatry, Radiology, and Neurology (Y.I.S.), University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.
Diana KingFrom the Department of Neurology (J.R.C., T.A.D., W.D.G., B.M.D., D.K., C.M.Y., J.-M.L.), The Knight Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO; Center for Neuromodulation in Depression and Stress, Department of Psychiatry (C.E.W., P.Y., Y.I.S.), and Departments of Psychiatry, Radiology, and Neurology (Y.I.S.), University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.
Carla M YuedeFrom the Department of Neurology (J.R.C., T.A.D., W.D.G., B.M.D., D.K., C.M.Y., J.-M.L.), The Knight Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO; Center for Neuromodulation in Depression and Stress, Department of Psychiatry (C.E.W., P.Y., Y.I.S.), and Departments of Psychiatry, Radiology, and Neurology (Y.I.S.), University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.ORCID 0000-0001-6362-4767
Jin-Moo LeeFrom the Department of Neurology (J.R.C., T.A.D., W.D.G., B.M.D., D.K., C.M.Y., J.-M.L.), The Knight Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO; Center for Neuromodulation in Depression and Stress, Department of Psychiatry (C.E.W., P.Y., Y.I.S.), and Departments of Psychiatry, Radiology, and Neurology (Y.I.S.), University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.
Yvette I ShelineFrom the Department of Neurology (J.R.C., T.A.D., W.D.G., B.M.D., D.K., C.M.Y., J.-M.L.), The Knight Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO; Center for Neuromodulation in Depression and Stress, Department of Psychiatry (C.E.W., P.Y., Y.I.S.), and Departments of Psychiatry, Radiology, and Neurology (Y.I.S.), University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.
Hope Center for Neurological Disorders · US

Funding

Viral Vectors CoreP01NS074969 · NINDS · WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY · PI SNIDER, BARBARA JOY · 2012 to 2021
$13.0M
Targeting TFEB To Microglia and Monocytes to Enhance Amyloid DegradationR01NS094692 · NINDS · WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY · PI DIWAN, ABHINAV, LEE, JIN-MOO · 2017 to 2021
$2.4M
CITALOPRAM DECREASES CSF AB: A RANDOMIZED DOSE FINDING TRIALR01AG041502 · NIA · WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY · PI SHELINE, YVETTE I · 2012 to 2015
$1.8M
Tracking Intracellular Pathways to Abeta GenerationR21AG055333 · NIA · WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY · PI LEE, JIN-MOO · 2017 to 2018
$419k
NIA NIH HHS R01 AG041502NIA NIH HHS R21 AG055333NINDS NIH HHS P01 NS074969NINDS NIH HHS R01 NS094692
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundSeveral neurotransmitter receptors activate signaling pathways that alter processing of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) into β-amyloid (Aβ). Serotonin signaling through a subset of serotonin receptors suppresses Aβ generation. We proposed that escitalopram, the most specific selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) that inhibits the serotonin transporter SERT, would suppress Aβ levels in mice.

objectivesWe hypothesized that acute treatment with escitalopram would reduce Aβ generation, which would be reflected chronically with a significant reduction in Aβ plaque load.

methodsWe performed in vivo microdialysis and in vivo 2-photon imaging to assess changes in brain interstitial fluid (ISF) Aβ and Aβ plaque size over time, respectively, in the APP/presenilin 1 mouse model of Alzheimer disease treated with vehicle or escitalopram. We also chronically treated mice with escitalopram to determine the effect on plaques histologically.

resultsEscitalopram acutely reduced ISF Aβ by 25% by increasing α-secretase cleavage of APP. Chronic administration of escitalopram significantly reduced plaque load by 28% and 34% at 2.5 and 5 mg/d, respectively. Escitalopram at 5 mg/kg did not remove existing plaques, but completely arrested individual plaque growth over time.

conclusionsEscitalopram significantly reduced Aβ in mice, similar to previous findings in humans treated with acute dosing of an SSRI.

Indexed as

Alzheimer DiseaseAmyloid beta-PeptidesAmyloid beta-Protein PrecursorAnimalsBrainCitalopramDisease Models, AnimalExtracellular FluidIntravital MicroscopyMiceMicrodialysisMicroscopy, Fluorescence, MultiphotonPeptide FragmentsPlaque, AmyloidPresenilin-1Selective Serotonin Reuptake InhibitorsAmyloid beta-Peptidesamyloid beta-protein (1-40)amyloid beta-protein (1-42)Amyloid beta-Protein PrecursorAPP protein, mouseCitalopramPeptide FragmentsPresenilin-1Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors

Identifiers

PMID32913022
PMCPMC7713734
OpenAlexW3084765062

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.