Effects of open-label transdermal nicotine antidepressant augmentation on affective symptoms and executive function in late-life depression
A recent report from faculty and staff in the Vanderbilt Division of Geriatric Psychiatry demonstrates the potential benefit of adding transdermal nicotine patches to standard antidepressant medications for older adults with depression. The open-label study found that administration of nicotine patches safely resulted in improvement in mood and some measures of cognitive performance. This study supports that further work is needed, such as the ongoing placebo-controlled trial currently underway in the Vanderbilt Division of Geriatric Psychiatry.