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Clinical Trials/NCT05591677
NCT05591677
Active, not recruiting
Phase 2

D-Cycloserine Augmentation of Intermittent Theta Burst Stimulation (iTBS) in Depression: A Multi-Site, Randomised, Placebo-Controlled Trial (COGENT)

The Alfred1 site in 1 country180 target enrollmentApril 21, 2023

Overview

Phase
Phase 2
Intervention
D-Cycloserine
Conditions
Major Depressive Disorder
Sponsor
The Alfred
Enrollment
180
Locations
1
Primary Endpoint
Rate of treatment response as per Montgomery Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS)
Status
Active, not recruiting
Last Updated
4 months ago

Overview

Brief Summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to investigate if the drug D-Cycloserine (DCS) improves the antidepressant effects of Intermittent Theta Burst Stimulation (iTBS), a non-invasive brain stimulation therapy, in patients with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). The main questions it aims to answer are:

  • Whether taking DCS prior to iTBS therapy will be more effective in improving depressive symptoms than iTBS therapy alone.
  • Compare the effect of DCS 100mg/day versus 50mg/day on depressive symptoms.
  • Test the safety and tolerability of DCS. Participants will take either 50mg DCS per day, 100mg DCS or placebo prior to each iTBS treatment session. iTBS treatment will be administered daily, 5 days a week for 4 weeks. Clinical measures will be conducted at baseline and at the ends of weeks 1, 2, 3 and 4 of treatment.

Detailed Description

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a common and debilitating condition with high rates of treatment resistance. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is an established treatment for treatment-resistant depression with few adverse effects. Intermittent Theta Burst Stimulation (iTBS) is a time-efficient form of rTMS with evidence base in the treatment of treatment-resistant depression (TRD). The most commonly supported understanding of iTBS's mechanism of action appear to be its strengthening of connections between networks of neurons, which is modulated by the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor. D-cycloserine (DCS) is a partial NMDA receptor agonist that has demonstrable impact on rTMS and TBS's neuromodulatory effects. This study protocol proposes the conduct of a prospective multi-site, parallel-arm design, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial to investigate DCS augmentation of iTBS in MDD. We will investigate if adjuvant DCS 50mg or 100mg/day might have superior iTBS antidepressant augmentation effects.

Registry
clinicaltrials.gov
Start Date
April 21, 2023
End Date
May 29, 2026
Last Updated
4 months ago
Study Type
Interventional
Study Design
Parallel
Sex
All

Investigators

Sponsor
The Alfred
Responsible Party
Principal Investigator
Principal Investigator

Leo Chen

Head, Clinical TMS and Psychopharmacology Research Units, Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre (MAPrc)

The Alfred

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

  • Diagnosis of major depressive episode (MDE), in accordance with the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 5th edition (DSM-5), in the context of unipolar major depressive disorder or bipolar affective disorder.
  • 18 years or older in age.
  • Treatment resistant depression at Stage II of the Thase and Rush classification.56
  • Baseline Montgomery Åsberg Depression Rating Scale score of ≥ 20 (moderate-to-severe depression severity).57,58
  • No increase or initiation of new antidepressant therapy in the four weeks prior to screening.
  • Demonstrated capacity to give informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria

  • Inability to provide informed consent.
  • Medically unstable patients at the discretion of the investigator.
  • Concomitant neurological disorder or a history of a seizure disorder.
  • Participants who are pregnant.
  • Current substance use meeting DSM-5 criteria for substance use disorder.
  • Per DSM-5, had ever met diagnostic criteria for schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, schizophreniform disorder or delusional disorder as assessed by the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) at the time of screening.
  • Diagnosis of any other mental disorder that is the participant's primary diagnosis or main mental health syndrome of concern at the time of screening, which may significantly affect psychiatric status and assessed as likely to impact trial participation, in the clinical judgement of the investigator.

Arms & Interventions

Active iTBS + active DCS 50mg/day

Active iTBS (600 pulses), 5 days/week x 4 weeks + active DCS 50mg/day x 2 weeks, taken 2-hours prior to scheduled iTBS treatment.

Intervention: D-Cycloserine

Active iTBS + active DCS 50mg/day

Active iTBS (600 pulses), 5 days/week x 4 weeks + active DCS 50mg/day x 2 weeks, taken 2-hours prior to scheduled iTBS treatment.

Intervention: Intermittent Theta Burst Stimulation

Active iTBS + active DCS 100mg/day

Active iTBS (600 pulses), 5 days/week x 4 weeks + active DCS 100mg/day x 2 weeks, taken 2-hours prior to scheduled iTBS treatment.

Intervention: D-Cycloserine

Active iTBS + active DCS 100mg/day

Active iTBS (600 pulses), 5 days/week x 4 weeks + active DCS 100mg/day x 2 weeks, taken 2-hours prior to scheduled iTBS treatment.

Intervention: Intermittent Theta Burst Stimulation

Active iTBS + placebo

Active iTBS (600 pulses), 5 days/week x 4 weeks + placebo x 2 weeks, taken 2-hours prior to scheduled iTBS treatment.

Intervention: Intermittent Theta Burst Stimulation

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Rate of treatment response as per Montgomery Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS)

Time Frame: Determined at Week 4 (primary study endpoint)

Clinical treatment response defined as \>/= 50% reduction in MADRS scores from baseline to primary study endpoint. Clinician-administered depression rating scale. The overall score ranges from 0 - 60. Cutoff points are 0-6 = normal, 7-9 = mild depression, 20-34 = moderate depression, \>34 = severe depression.

Secondary Outcomes

  • International Trauma Questionnaire (ITQ)(Administered at baseline and at the ends of weeks 1, 2, 3 and 4 of treatment.)
  • Beck's Scale for Suicide Ideation (BSS)(Administered at baseline and at the ends of weeks 1, 2, 3 and 4 of treatment.)
  • Change in World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL-BREF)(Administered at baseline and at the ends of weeks 1, 2, 3 and 4 of treatment.)
  • Change in Montgomery Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS)(Administered at baseline and at the ends of weeks 1, 2, 3 and 4 of treatment.)
  • Change in Clinical Global Impression (CGI)(Administered at baseline and at the ends of weeks 1, 2, 3 and 4 of treatment.)
  • Change in Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology - Self Report (QIDS-SR)(Administered at baseline and at the ends of weeks 1, 2, 3 and 4 of treatment.)
  • Beck's Anxiety Inventory (BAI)(Administered at baseline and at the ends of weeks 1, 2, 3 and 4 of treatment.)

Study Sites (1)

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