Yasmine Doust
From mood to memory: how antidepressants impact on Alzheimer’s disease progression
Award
Dementia Australia Research Foundation Project Grant
Status
In progress
Start Date
1 March 2026
About the project
What is the focus of the research?
Understanding how a common type of antidepressant, called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), affects the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.
Why is this important?
Depression is common in people with Alzheimer’s disease and can worsen memory loss, thinking and quality of life. SSRIs are considered safe and are frequently used to treat depression, but we do not fully understand whether they help, have no effect, or possibly make Alzheimer’s disease worse.
Dr Doust will analyse clinical data from people living with Alzheimer’s disease to see how SSRIs impact outcomes such as memory and thinking, and blood-based biomarkers. She will also study their effects in the laboratory to understand what happens in the brain at a biological level. Understanding how SSRIs effect memory, brain structure and biological markers of disease may uncover patterns and possible disease mechanisms.
Dr Doust’s research will fill a critical gap in knowledge and provide evidence to guide safer and more effective treatment for people living with Alzheimer’s disease.
What could this mean for people living with dementia?
- Better-informed treatment decisions for managing depression.
- Clearer guidance for doctors on which antidepressants are safest and most effective.
- Improved quality of life through safer, evidence-based care.
Where are they now?
Dr Doust is a post-doctoral research fellow at the Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre, University of Tasmania. Her research focuses on investigating biological mechanisms that contribute to neurological conditions associated with dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease, traumatic brain injury and Batten’s disease.
