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Deep Brain Stimulation in Treatment Refractory Depression

Phase 1
Terminated
Conditions
Major Depressive Disorder
Interventions
Device: ITP Stimulation
Device: CI/BNST stimulation
Device: No stimulation
Registration Number
NCT01921543
Lead Sponsor
Universitaire Ziekenhuizen KU Leuven
Brief Summary

The main aim of this trial was to investigate whether patients suffering from treatment refractory- Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) can benefit from DBS (Deep Brain Stimulation) in the brain areas known as inferior thalamic peduncle (ITP) and/or Capsula Interna/Bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (CI/BNST)

Detailed Description

This study aims to investigate the effect of deep brain stimulation (DBS)in major depressive disorder (MDD). After implantation of the DBS system, the effects of deep brain stimulation in ITP and CI/BNST will be evaluated.

The design of the study consists of two consecutive crossover phases, interspaced with 2 optimalisation episodes. After a period of optimalisation of CI/BNST stimulation parameters, patients will be randomised in two groups. Half of the group of patients will receive stimulation in CI/BNST. The other half will not. After one week both groups will switch conditions during a period of one week. This will give an idea of the effects of stimulation in CI/BNST on the outcome measures. Outcome measures will be evaluated after each week.

After this first crossover patients will continue to an optimalisation phase of ITP stimulation parameters. A second crossover will then follow. The effects of ITP stimulation, CI/BNST stimulation and no stimulation will be compared. In this phase patients will again be randomised to receive one of the six possible combinations of three consecutive periods of two months for the three different stimulation conditions (ITP stimulation, CI/BNST stimulation and no stimulation).

Evaluations of outcome measures will be performed by blinded evaluators. This design will limit the duration of periods in which these severly ill patients are not stimulated.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
TERMINATED
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
7
Inclusion Criteria
  • Major depressive disorder, severe, unipolar type, diagnosed by Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID-IV), judged to be of disabling severity.

  • 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) score of at least 19.

  • Global Assessment of Function (GAF) score of 45 or less.

  • A recurrent (>4 episodes) or chronic (episode duration >2 years) course and a minimum of 5 years since the onset of the first depressive episode. Major impairment in functioning or potentially severe medical outcomes (repeated hospitalizations, serious suicidal ideation or a history of previous suicide attempts or other self-injurious behavior).

  • Failure to respond to:

    • adequate trials (>6 weeks at the maximum recommended or tolerated dose) of primary antidepressants from at least 3 different classes AND;
    • adequate trials (>4 weeks at the usually recommended or maximum tolerated dose) of augmentation/combination of a primary antidepressant using at least 2 different augmenting/combination agents (lithium, T3, stimulants, neuroleptics, anticonvulsants, buspirone, or a second primary antidepressant) AND;
    • an adequate trial of Electroconvulsiontherapy (ECT) (>6 bilateral treatments) AND;
    • adequate relapse prevention by antidepressant medication or maintenance ECT or an adequate trial of individual psychotherapy.
  • Age ≥18 - ≤65 years.

  • Able to comply with the operational and administrative requirements of participation in the study ; able to comply with the questionnaires and the protocol.

  • Able to give written informed consent.

  • Either drug-free or on a stable drug regimen for at least 6 weeks at the time of entry into the study.

  • Good general health.

  • Candidates may have undertaken additional trials of potentially beneficial novel combinations of medication and psychotherapy, or they may have undertaken trials of novel interventions lacking definitive evidence of efficacy in severe depression (e.g., light therapy, herbal therapy, transcranial magnetic stimulation, vagal nerve stimulation).

Exclusion Criteria
  • Current or past non-affective psychotic disorder.
  • Any current clinically significant neurological disorder or medical illness affecting brain function.
  • Any clinically significant abnormality on preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
  • Any surgical contraindications to undergoing DBS, including labeled contraindications for DBS and/or inability to undergo presurgical MRI (cardiac pacemaker, pregnancy, metal in body, severe claustrophobia), infection, coagulopathy, inability to undergo an awake operation or significant cardiac or other medical risk factors for surgery.
  • Current or unstably remitted substance abuse.
  • Pregnancy and women of childbearing age not using effective contraception.
  • History of severe personality disorder, especially cluster B.
  • Imminent risk of suicide (based on the judgment of the investigators)
  • Present participation in another clinical trial

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
CROSSOVER
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
CI/BNST vs ITP vs stimulation offNo stimulationrandomized, double blind, two month crossover
ITP stimulation onITP Stimulation-
CI/BNST stimulation onCI/BNST stimulation-
CI/BNST vs stimulation offNo stimulationrandomized, double blind, 1 week crossover
CI/BNST vs ITP vs stimulation offCI/BNST stimulationrandomized, double blind, two month crossover
CI/BNST vs stimulation offCI/BNST stimulationrandomized, double blind, 1 week crossover
CI/BNST vs ITP vs stimulation offITP Stimulationrandomized, double blind, two month crossover
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Change from baseline in depressive symptoms as measured by the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scaleup to 14 months

The time frame is an approximation as evaluation is performed after each crossover phase. The time interval between baseline and evaluation depends on the time required for optimisation of DBS parameters.

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Global Assessment of Function (GAF)up to 14 months
patient-rated Symptom CheckList (SCL-90)up to 14 months
Cognitive function: Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test; Trailmaking A & B, Stroop Test, Rey-Osterrieth complex figure test ; Wisconsin Card Sorting Test; Standard Progressive Matrices of Raven; Digit Span Test; Word Fluency Testup to 14 months
Hopelessness: using the Beck Hopelessness scaleup to 14 months
Montgomery- Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS)up to 14 months
Inventory for Depressive Symptoms, Self-Report (IDS-SR)up to 14 months
Global measures of illness severity and improvement:the clinician-rated Clinical Global Impressions - Severity (CGI-S) and Clinical Global Impressions - Improvement (CGI-I) scales, and the patient-rated Patient Global Impressions (PGI-S and PGI-I)up to 14 months
Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HARS)up to 14 months
Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS)up to 14 months
Side Effects Questionnaire (SEQ)up to 14 months

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

UZ Leuven

🇧🇪

Leuven, Vlaams-Brabant, Belgium

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