Summary

Eligibility
for people ages 60 years and up (full criteria)
Location
at UCLA
Dates
study started
completion around

Description

Summary

The purpose of this study is to assess which antidepressants work the best in older adults who have treatment-resistant depression (TRD), and to test whether treatment-resistant late life depression is associated with declines in memory and attention and brain structure and function.

Official Title

RCT of Neurocognitive and Neuroimaging Biomarkers: Predicting Progression Towards Dementia in Patients With Treatment-resistant Late-life Depression (OPTIMUM-Neuro RCT)

Details

Older adult participants with treatment-resistant depression will be randomly assigned to a Step 1 medication strategy.

  • Adding aripiprazole to current antidepressant medication
  • Adding bupropion to current antideprssant medication
  • Replacing current antidepressant medication with bupropion

If depression is not relieved at the end of 10 weeks, or if participants do not qualify for Step 1, participants will be randomly assigned to a Step 2 medication strategy:

  • Adding lithium to current antidepressant medication
  • Replacing current antidepressant medication with nortriptyline

All medication strategies will be offered in collaboration with participants' own physicians with the the research team providing support and guidance.

After treatment in Step 1 and/or Step 2, participants will enter the Continuation Phase to assess long term follow-up outcomes for 12 months.

Participants in the Optimizing Outcomes of Treatment-Resistant Depression in Older Adults (OPTIMUM) (NCT02960763) study, will also be asked to participate in this clinical trial to gather imaging and biomarker data. The study will test if changes in brain structure and function are associated with decreases in memory. In this study, investigators will conduct a series of assessments/tests, mainly brain imaging and assessments of participant's memory and attention, to better understand how depression is linked to memory and thinking in older persons.

  • Investigators will be collecting blood biomarkers as part of their study procedures. These samples will be used to look at other factors that may relate to depression or memory and attention processes.
  • Mechanisms of Late life depression (LLD)-dementia through functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI): Analyzing mechanisms of the LLD-dementia relationship through fMRI acquisitions and analyses, to capture the specific brain networks implicated in executive function and episodic memory decline.
  • Neuropsychological Data: Including Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), Wide Range Achievement Test-4 (WRAT-4) Reading subtest, Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS) and Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System (D-KEFS) (Color Word Interference, Trail Making and Verbal Fluency).
  • Clinical Scales: Including the Everyday Cognition Scale (E-Cog), Global Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR), Performance Assessment of Selfcare Skills (PASS)-Cognitive Instrumental Activities of Daily Living(CIADL) Short version, Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), and Suicide Risk Assessments (Suicide Questions, Baseline Suicidal Ideation, Suicide Intent Scale, Beck Lethality Scale, Decision Outcome Inventory, Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale, and High Suicide Risk Protocol).

Investigators hope that this study will help the scientific community to understand why some people with depressive symptoms that are resistant to treatment in late-life experience declines in their memory and attention and whether effective treatment of such depression reduces that risk. Finally, investigators hope that this study will eventually lead to the development of better treatment options.

Keywords

Depression, Dementia, Mild Cognitive Impairment, Treatment Resistant Depression, Major Depressive Disorder, Treatment-Refractory Depression, Late Life Depression, Geriatric Depression, Comparative Effectiveness Research, Pragmatic Clinical Trials, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Research Clinical Trial, RCT, Depressive Disorder, Cognitive Dysfunction, Treatment-Resistant Depressive Disorder, Aripiprazole, Lithium Carbonate, Bupropion, Nortriptyline, Aripiprazole Augmentation, Bupropion Augmentation, Switch to bupropion, Lithium Augmentation, Switch to nortriptyline

Eligibility

You can join if…

Open to people ages 60 years and up

  • Men and women aged 60 and older, with approximately equal proportions aged 60-70 and 70+.
  • Current Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), single or recurrent, as diagnosed by Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) criteria.
  • Failure to respond adequately to two or more antidepressant treatment trials of recommended dose and length (approximately 12 weeks).
  • PHQ-9 score of 10 or higher.

You CAN'T join if...

  • Dementia; patients screened out due to possible dementia will be referred to a local Memory Clinic or back to their clinician for evaluation to clarify the presence or absence of dementia.
  • Lifetime diagnosis of bipolar I or II disorder, schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, schizophreniform disorder, delusional disorder, or current psychotic symptoms.
  • High risk for suicide (e.g. active Suicidal ideations (SI) and or current/recent intent or plan)). Urgent psychiatric referral will be made in these cases.
  • Non-correctable, clinically significant sensory impairment (e.g., cannot hear well enough to cooperate with interview).
  • Unstable medical illness, including delirium, uncontrolled diabetes mellitus, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, or cerebrovascular or cardiovascular risk factors that are not under medical management.
  • Moderate to severe substance or alcohol use disorder, as determined by study physician.
  • Seizure disorder.
  • Parkinson's Disease

Locations

  • UCLA Late-Life Mood, Stress, and Wellness Research Program
    Los Angeles California 90095 United States
  • Washington University School of Medicine Healthy Mind Lab
    Saint Louis Missouri 63110 United States
  • Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
    Toronto Ontario M6J 1H4 Canada
  • Columbia University Adult and Late Life Depression Clinic
    New York New York 10032 United States

Details

Status
in progress, not accepting new patients
Start Date
Completion Date
(estimated)
Sponsor
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
ID
NCT05531591
Phase
Phase 4 research study
Study Type
Interventional
Participants
Expecting 600 study participants
Last Updated