Platelet membrane fluidity and treatment response in cognitively-impaired, depressed elderly: initial results

A prospective study of response to treatment with nortriptyline was carried out in a group of 14 inpatients with mixed symptoms of depression and dementia. Platelet membrane fluidity, as reflected by the fluorescence anisotropy of DPH labeled membranes, was determined for all 14 drug-free subjects prior to treatment by staff who were blind to clinical and demographic data. Patients who exhibited worsening of their cognitive impairment exhibited “increased” platelet membrane fluidity, an abnormality found in approximately 50% of patients with Alzheimer's disease.