At a glance
ClinicalIndex Comparison RecordStandardized by ClinicalIndex from the ClinicalTrials.gov record · verify against the source.
Advancing Personalized Antidepressant Treatment Using PET/MRI
In Brief
A Phase 4 clinical trial evaluating Escitalopram and Placebo for Depression. Completed, enrolled 85 participants across 1 site.
Detailed Summary
Despite current medications, morbidity and mortality of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) remain high. According to the World Health Organization, MDD affects 121 million people worldwide, and is projected to be the second leading cause of global disability by 2020. Monotherapy with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) is the most widely used treatment for MDD. However, on average, SSRIs require six weeks for onset of action, and two-thirds of those on SSRIs fail to achieve remission. Compounding this problem, patients with residual symptoms are significantly more likely to discontinue treatment or relapse, be hospitalized for medical and psychiatric conditions, or die of suicide and other causes. Although eliminating ineffective treatment trials would significantly reduce patient suffering and healthcare costs,clinicians currently do not have the tools to objectively select treatment based on an individual's likelihood of remission. Therefore, there is an urgent need to identify markers predictive of an individual's SSRI treatment outcome. Developing this personalized treatment requires increased understanding of the relationship between pretreatment neurobiology, SSRI-induced biological changes, and the corresponding symptom improvements.
Study Details
Timeline
Interventions
Participants randomized to the escitalopram group will be given the medication for 8 weeks, after which they will be given the option to continue for 4 more weeks if they are close to remission. This additional 4-week treatment option is something offered to participants outside the clinical trial, and therefore was not treated as part of the main study.
To reduce the burden of the patients on placebo, the placebo trial will have a target of 8 weeks. To provide an opportunity for placebo non-responders to receive active drug and to aid in recruitment, we will provide 8-12 weeks of SSRI treatment to placebo non-responders. This treatment option is something offered to participants outside the clinical trial, and therefore was not treated as part of the main study.