CSP #556 - The Effectiveness of rTMS in Depressed VA Patients
Overview
- Phase
- Not Applicable
- Intervention
- Not specified
- Conditions
- Major Depressive Disorder
- Sponsor
- VA Office of Research and Development
- Enrollment
- 164
- Locations
- 9
- Primary Endpoint
- The Proportion of Participants Achieving Remission From Depression as Assessed by Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression
- Status
- Completed
- Last Updated
- 8 years ago
Overview
Brief Summary
The purpose of this multi-site trial is to determine if repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) helps people with depression who have not been helped by medications or who have not been helped enough by medications.
Detailed Description
Major depression occurs in about 10% of American outpatients every year and of those, approximately 20% respond incompletely or not at all to trials of antidepressants, mood stabilizers, or psychotherapy (Kaplan and Sadock, 1996; Keller et al 1992; Thase, 2004). Treatment as usual for these cases of treatment resistant major depression (TRMD) frequently involves increased risks and increased side effects, such as those seen in monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). New TRMD treatments are needed, preferably without major safety concerns or side effects as seen with aggressive polypharmacy or ECT. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is a method of delivering brain stimulation without the seizures or risks associated with ECT, nor the potential side effects and risks of MAOI therapy. Systematic review and meta-analysis of the studies to date, which are typically of a small scale, appear to show a positive effect in TRMD (Martin et al. 2003). With a minimal side effect profile, and the rarity of untoward events and side-effects (Pascual-Leone et al. 1993; Wassermann 1997), safety concerns regarding the use of rTMS are considerably less than with ECT. Given this, rTMS has the potential to be a significant advance in care, if it were shown to be effective in TRMD in VA patients. The trials of rTMS performed to date have not included participants with comorbid disorders, such as substance abuse and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), thus the generalizability of their findings to a VA population is not clear. Further research including Veterans with possible comorbid disorders is necessary, given the high rates of co-occurring substance abuse and PTSD that is present in the Veteran population. The present study is a randomized, controlled trial that compares active rTMS to a sham condition in Veterans with treatment resistant major depression and possible comorbid post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and / or a history of substance abuse. Veterans will remain under the care of their VA primary mental health provider throughout the project. Participants will be assessed at pre-, mid- and several post-treatment time points. This is a multisite trial that will be conducted at 9 VA Medical Centers around the country.
Investigators
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria
- •Between 18 and 80 years of age
- •Using the Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) Disorders (SCID) for DSM-IV-TR (First et al. 2002) patients will be diagnosed Major Depressive Disorder (MDD).
- •Have a Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD-24) score greater or equal to 20 no more than 7 days prior to randomization.
- •Exhibit moderate level of resistance to antidepressant treatment defined, using the Antidepressant Treatment History Form (ATHF) (Sackeim et al. 1990), as failure of at least two adequate medication trials.
- •Duration of current episode of less than or equal to 10 years.
- •Ability to obtain a Motor Threshold (MT) (should be determined at the end of the screening process).
- •Currently under the care of a VA psychiatrist.
- •If on a psychotropic medication regimen, that regimen will be stable for at least 4 weeks prior to randomization and patient will be willing to remain on a stable regimen during the acute treatment phase.
- •Has an adequately stable condition and environment to enable attendance at scheduled clinic visits.
- •For female participants, agrees to use one of the following acceptable methods of birth control
Exclusion Criteria
- •Pregnant or lactating female (This is an FDA-required exclusion. In the future, if rTMS becomes a proven treatment for major depression, its safety in the context of pregnancy should be studied separately (Nahas et al. 1999).
- •Unable to be safely withdrawn, at least two-weeks prior to treatment commencement, from medications that substantially increase the risk of having seizures. For the purpose of this study, those medications are listed in Appendix G (for example, theophylline).
- •Have a cardiac pacemaker.
- •Have an implanted device (deep brain stimulation) or metal in the brain.
- •Have a cochlear implant.
- •Have a mass lesion, cerebral infarct, increased intracranial pressure, or other active central nervous system (CNS) disease, including a seizure disorder.
- •Known current psychosis as determined by DSM-IV or SCID (axis I, psychotic disorder, schizophrenia) or a history of a non-mood psychotic disorder.
- •Known current Bipolar I disorder as determined by SCID or a History of Bipolar I disorder.
- •Current amnestic disorders, dementia, Blessed Orientation-Memory-Concentration (BOMC) greater than 10, delirium, or other cognitive disorders.
- •Current substance abuse (not including caffeine or nicotine) as determined by positive toxicology screen, or by history via SCID, within 3 months prior to screening.
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
The Proportion of Participants Achieving Remission From Depression as Assessed by Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression
Time Frame: End of acute treatment 4-6 weeks
The primary outcome is a proportion of participants achieving remission from depression based on the HRSD24 less than or equal to 10 at the end of the acute treatment phase. 24 item Instrument with overall score range from 0 - 76. High values represent a worse outcome.
Secondary Outcomes
- Mean Depression Score as Assessed by the Montgomery Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS)(End of acute treatment 4-6 weeks, then end of F/U 6 months)
- Mean Suicidal Ideation Score as Assessed by Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation (BSS)(End of acute treatment 4-6 weeks, then end of F/U 6 months)
- Mean Depression Score as Assessed by Beck Depression Inventory (BDI)(Baseline - end of acute treatment 4-6 weeks, then end of F/U 6 months)
- Mean Mental Component Score as Assessed by VR-36 Mental Component Summary (MCS)(End of acute treatment 4-6 weeks, then end of F/U 6 months)
- Mean Physical Component Score as Assessed by VR-36 Physical Component Summary (PCS)(End of acute treatment 4-6 weeks, then end of F/U 6 months)