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Bipolar DisorderPhase 4LiTMUSNCT00667745

Effectiveness of Lithium Plus Optimized Medication in Treating People With Bipolar Disorder

A Phase 4 study testing Lithium Carbonate and Optimized Treatment (OPT) in people with Bipolar Disorder, run by National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) at 6 sites in United States.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

This study evaluated whether lithium included as part of optimized medication treatment improved overall level of illness, symptoms of mania and depression, and quality of life in people with bipolar disorder. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 to 80 years
Conditions the study is for
Bipolar Disorder
What is being tested?
Lithium Carbonate and Optimized Treatment (OPT)
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
283 participants
Where
6 sitesUnited States
Study dates
Apr 2008to Mar 2010
Phase
Phase 4
Are there results?
Yes, posted in the registrySummary in the doctors' view

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 to 80 years
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Meets DSM-IV Criteria for bipolar disorder (type I or II)
  • Currently symptomatic, as defined as a Clinical Global Impressions Scale-Bipolar Version, Overall Severity Index (CGI-BP-S) of greater than or equal to 3
  • If taking or has taken lithium, must be off lithium for at least 30 days before study entry
  • If a woman of child bearing potential, agrees to inform their doctor at the earliest possible time of their plans to conceive, to use adequate contraception (e.g. oral contraceptives, intrauterine device, barrier methods, total abstinence from intercourse), and to acknowledge the risks of lithium to the fetus and infant (Depo Provera is acceptable if it is started 3 months before study entry)

Who cannot join

  • Renal impairment (serum creatinine greater than 1.5 mg/dL)
  • Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) over 20% above the upper normal limit (participants maintained on thyroid medication must be euthyroid for at least 3 months before Visit 1)
  • History of lithium toxicity that was not caused by mismanagement or overdose
  • Other contraindication to lithium (e.g., hypersensitivity to lithium or any component of the formulation, severe cardiovascular or renal disease, severe debilitation, dehydration, sodium depletion, pregnancy)
  • Currently in crisis such that inpatient hospitalization or other crisis - Participated in a clinical trial of an investigational drug within the 1 months before study entry
  • Pregnant or breastfeeding

Trial locations and contacts

6 sites in 1 country.

6 sites in 1 country

United States6 sites
  • Massachusetts General Hospital

    Boston, Massachusetts, 02114

  • Case Western Reserve University

    Cleveland, Ohio, 44106

  • University of Pennsylvania

    Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104

  • University of Pittsburgh Medical Center

    Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15213

  • University of Texas Health Science Center

    San Antonio, Texas, 78229

  • Stanford University

    Stanford, California, 94035-5723

Other trials in United States

About this study

Official title: Lithium Use for Bipolar Disorder (LiTMUS): A Randomized Controlled Effectiveness Trial

This study evaluated whether lithium included as part of optimized medication treatment improved overall level of illness, symptoms of mania and depression, and quality of life in people with bipolar disorder.

Read the detailed description

Bipolar illness, a brain disorder that causes dramatic changes in a person's mood and energy, affects about 2.6% of adults in the United States. Bipolar disorder is characterized by cyclical periods of extreme highs and lows, known as episodes of mania and depression. A person undergoing an episode of mania often experiences euphoric moods, increased energy, and aggressive behaviors, while a person in a depressed state often experiences low moods, lack of energy, and feelings of sadness. Lithium is a widely used mood stabilizing medication that has been shown to reduce the occurrence and intensity of manic episodes and may lessen depressive episodes as well. Including lithium as a part of a personalized medication treatment approach may be the most effective means of improving symptoms of bipolar disorder. This study will evaluate whether lithium included as part of optimized medication treatment improves overall level of illness, symptoms of mania and depression, and quality of life in people with bipolar disorder.

Participation in this study lasted for 6 months. All participants had an initial assessment that included an interview and questionnaires to confirm a diagnosis of bipolar disorder, vital sign measurements, a blood draw, and if female, pregnancy. Eligible participants were then assigned randomly to receive either optimized medication plus lithium or optimized medication without lithium. Participants in both groups received 6 months of monitored treatment with their medication regimens, as prescribed by their study doctor. Participants attended study visits every 2 weeks for the first 8 weeks and then once a month for 4 more months. These visits lasted between 45 and 60 minutes and included medication adjustments and questions about symptoms, side effects, and quality of life.

We would like to acknowledge that medication was kindly donated by Ortho-McNeil Janssen Scientific Affairs, LLC.

Being tested
Lithium Carbonate, Optimized Treatment (OPT)
Keywords
Lithium, Symptoms, Medication Changes
Medical subject headings
Bipolar Disorder

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Lithium CarbonateDrug

    Also called Lithium

    Lithium was started at 300 mg and then increased to 600 mg after 3 days. Lithium doses were maintained at 600 mg per day for 8 weeks, but may have been adjusted after that time as needed up to a serum level of 1.2 mEq/L.

  • Optimized Treatment (OPT)Drug

    The foundation of OPT was to maintain treatment that will typically include at least one FDA-approved mood stabilizer other than lithium (e.g., divalproex, carbamazepine, risperidone, quetiapine, olanzapine, aripiprazole, ziprasidone) and to follow the recommendations summarized in the evidence-based stages of the Texas Implementation of Medication Algorithm (TIMA) revised guidelines.

Study groups in NCT00667745
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
1ExperimentalParticipants received lithium plus optimized medication treatment, as needed.
Receives: Drug: Lithium Carbonate; Drug: Optimized Treatment (OPT)
2Active comparatorParticipants only received optimized medication treatment, as needed; lithium was not be used.
Receives: Drug: Optimized Treatment (OPT)

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Overall Change in Bipolar Illness Severity as Measured by Clinical Global Impression for Bipolar Disorder Severity (CGI-BP-S) Score

    Scale: Clinical Global Impression for Bipolar Disorder Severity (CGI-BP-S) Construct: This scale holistically measures severity of a participant's depression, mania, and overall illness.

    Range: 0- not assessed, 1-normal (not at all ill), 2- borderline mentally ill, 3- mildly ill, 4- moderately ill, 5- markedly ill, 6- severely ill, 7- among the most extremely ill patients.

    Measured: Relevant time points: baseline and week 24

  2. Number of Necessary Medication Adjustments

    Metric Definition (Necessary Clinical Adjustments (NCA)): Medication adjustments to reduce symptoms, optimize treatment response and functioning, or to address intolerable side effects. This was determined with the Medication Recommendation Tracking Form (MRTF), a novel method for capturing physician prescribing behavior and clinical decision making.

    Range: whole numbers

    Relevant time points: Weeks 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, 16, 20, and 24.

    Measured: Measured over 6 months

Secondary outcomes (3)
  1. Depression Symptoms as Measured Self Report Montgomery Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS)

    The MADRS is a 10-item measure and has a fixed scaling of seven points (from 0 through 6), with 0 representing sypmtoms that are not present and 6 being the most severe symptoms. When completed, the sum of each individual item is taken to create an overall score.

    Overall scores:

    0 to 6 - normal /symptom absent 7 to 19 - mild depression 20 to 34 - moderate depression >34 - severe depression

    Measured: Measured over 6 months

  2. Mania Symptoms as Measured by the Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS)

    The scale has 11 items and is based on the patient's subjective report of his or her clinical condition over the previous 48 hours. There are four items that are graded on a 0 to 8 scale with 0 indicating that symptoms are absent and 8 indicating that symptoms are severe (irritability, speech, thought content, and disruptive/aggressive behavior), while the remaining seven items are graded on a 0 to 4 scale, with 0 indicating that symptoms are absent and 4 indicating that symptoms are severe (Elevated mood, increased motor activity-energy, sexual interest, sleep, language-thought disorder, appearance, and insight). Total scores can vary from 0-60, with 0 indicating that symptoms are completely absent and 60 indicating that the patient is severely manic.

    Measured: Measured over 6 months

  3. Suicidality as Measured by the Modified Scale for Suicidal Ideation (MSSI)

    The Modified Scale for Suicide Ideation (MSSI) assesses the presence of absence of suicide ideation and the degree of severity of suicidal ideas. The time frame is from the point of interview and the previous 48 hours. It uses 13 items from the Scale for Suicidal Ideation (SSI) and 5 new items. The modifications increased both reliability and validity. The scale was also changed to range from 0 to 3, yielding a total score ranging from 0 to 54. A total score is attained by summing all of the items. A score between 0-8 indicates low suicidal ideation; 9-20 indiciates mild-moderate suicidal ideation; 21+ indicates severe suicidal ideation.

    Measured: Measured over 6 months

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted28 Apr 2008 (estimated)
  2. Study startApr 2008
  3. Primary completionMar 2010
  4. Study completionMar 2010

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase 4
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
Single blind
Who is masked
Outcomes assessor
Enrolment
283 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT00667745
Sponsor's protocol ID
N01 MH080001-01
Other IDs
DSIR AT, N01MH080001
Acronym
LiTMUS
Status last verified
Jul 2010
First submitted
24 Apr 2008
Last updated
13 Feb 2018
Data monitoring committee
Yes

Publications

  • Ostacher MJ, Nierenberg AA, Rabideau D, Reilly-Harrington NA, Sylvia LG, Gold AK, Shesler LW, Ketter TA, Bowden CL, Calabrese JR, Friedman ES, Iosifescu DV, Thase ME, Leon AC, Trivedi MH. A clinical measure of suicidal ideation, suicidal behavior, and associated symptoms in bipolar disorder: Psychometric properties of the Concise Health Risk Tracking Self-Report (CHRT-SR). J Psychiatr Res. 2015 Dec;71:126-33. doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2015.10.004. Epub 2015 Oct 9.

    PubMed 26476489
  • Reilly-Harrington NA, Sylvia LG, Leon AC, Shesler LW, Ketter TA, Bowden CL, Calabrese JR, Friedman ES, Ostacher MJ, Iosifescu DV, Rabideau DJ, Thase ME, Nierenberg AA. The Medication Recommendation Tracking Form: a novel tool for tracking changes in prescribed medication, clinical decision making, and use in comparative effectiveness research. J Psychiatr Res. 2013 Nov;47(11):1686-93. doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2013.07.009. Epub 2013 Jul 30.

    PubMed 23911057
  • Beech RD, Leffert JJ, Lin A, Sylvia LG, Umlauf S, Mane S, Zhao H, Bowden C, Calabrese JR, Friedman ES, Ketter TA, Iosifescu DV, Reilly-Harrington NA, Ostacher M, Thase ME, Nierenberg A. Gene-expression differences in peripheral blood between lithium responders and non-responders in the Lithium Treatment-Moderate dose Use Study (LiTMUS). Pharmacogenomics J. 2014 Apr;14(2):182-91. doi: 10.1038/tpj.2013.16. Epub 2013 May 14.

    PubMed 23670706
  • Nierenberg AA, Friedman ES, Bowden CL, Sylvia LG, Thase ME, Ketter T, Ostacher MJ, Leon AC, Reilly-Harrington N, Iosifescu DV, Pencina M, Severe JB, Calabrese JR. Lithium treatment moderate-dose use study (LiTMUS) for bipolar disorder: a randomized comparative effectiveness trial of optimized personalized treatment with and without lithium. Am J Psychiatry. 2013 Jan;170(1):102-10. doi: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2012.12060751.

    PubMed 23288387
  • Sylvia LG, Reilly-Harrington NA, Leon AC, Kansky CI, Ketter TA, Calabrese JR, Thase ME, Bowden CL, Friedman ES, Ostacher MJ, Iosifescu DV, Severe J, Keyes M, Nierenberg AA. Methods to limit attrition in longitudinal comparative effectiveness trials: lessons from the Lithium Treatment - Moderate dose Use Study (LiTMUS) for bipolar disorder. Clin Trials. 2012 Feb;9(1):94-101. doi: 10.1177/1740774511427324. Epub 2011 Nov 10.

    PubMed 22076437

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A Phase 4 study testing Lithium Carbonate and Optimized Treatment (OPT) in people with Bipolar Disorder, run by National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) at 6 sites in United States.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 4 inclusion and 6 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 13 Feb 2018. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 6 sites in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

What does this phase mean?

Phase 4 studies take place after a treatment is approved, to learn more about its long-term benefits and risks in everyday use.

Not every study follows the same path, and some studies (observational studies, device studies) have no phase.

Are results available for this study?

Yes. Results are posted in the registry (first posted 28 Jun 2013). A summary is in the For doctors view, and the full results are on ClinicalTrials.gov.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Overall Change in Bipolar Illness Severity as Measured by Clinical Global Impression for Bipolar Disorder Severity (CGI-BP-S) Score (time frame: Relevant time points: baseline and week 24). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT00667745, which also lists 5 linked publications.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 13 Feb 2018.

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