Fluoxetine in Alzheimer's disease with severe obsessive compulsive symptoms and a low density of serotonin transporter sites.

The treatment of behavioral disturbances is particularly challenging in patients suffering from dementia. In an 80-year-old female patient with probable AD and severe obsessive and compulsive symptoms, we demonstrated a significant reduction in the density of serotonin transporter sites using 1231-beta-CIT SPECT. Treatment with fluoxetine for 6 months resulted in significant symptom relief and an increasing density of serotonin transporter sites when compared to the beginning of treatment. Therefore, this report provides evidence that fluoxetine is a treatment option for patients with AD and severe obsessive-compulsive symptoms and highlights the importance of the serotoninergic system.