Post Traumatic Stress DisorderPhase 4NCT04697693
Antidepressant Response in Older Adults With Comorbid PTSD and MDD
A Phase 4 study testing Escitalopram and Duloxetine in people with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Major Depressive Disorder, run by New York State Psychiatric Institute at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
In the Investigator's ongoing studies of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in older adults, it has been found that older adults with PTSD frequently meet the criteria for comorbid Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 60 to 105 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Major Depressive Disorder
- What is being tested?
- Escitalopram and Duloxetine
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 1 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 3 Mar 2021to 20 May 2021
- 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 60 to 105 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Individual has completed IRB 7489
- Diagnosed with DSM 5 MDD
- HRSD >=18
- Willing to and capable of providing informed consent and complying with study procedures.
Who cannot join
- History of allergic or adverse reaction to
- Non-response to adequate trial of escitalopram (at least 4 weeks at dose of 20mg) and duloxetine (at least 4 weeks at dose of 60mg)during the current episode.
- Current treatment with psychotherapy, antidepressants, or other psychotropic medications.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United States1 site
New York State Psychiatric Institute
New York, New York, 10032
About this study
In the Investigator's ongoing studies of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in older adults, it has been found that older adults with PTSD frequently meet the criteria for comorbid Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). Moreover, relative to trauma-exposed healthy controls (TEHCs), elders with PTSD manifest executive function deficits, fatigability, and mobility and physical function deficits that are consistent with what the investigator has observed in depressed older adults. Yet, the investigator has found that very few older adults with combined PTSD/MDD have received appropriate antidepressant treatment for their condition. These findings give rise to the questions of (1) how effective is antidepressant treatment for depressive symptoms in the context of PTSD/MDD and (2) are cognitive and physical function deficits in PTSD/MDD patients reversible with effective antidepressant treatment?
Read the detailed description
Chronic PTSD in older adults leads to increased risk of mortality from cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, diabetes mellitus, and ulcerative gastrointestinal disease. PTSD appears to promote aging-associated syndromes such as frailty, and older patients with PTSD exhibit faster cognitive decline and have twice the risk of dementia compared to individuals without PTSD. In addition, laboratory studies report accelerated biological signatures of aging in PTSD patients, including shortened leukocyte telomere length, increases in pro-inflammatory cytokines, and increased oxidative stress. PTSD is associated with similar anatomical brain changes to those occurring with cognitive aging, including bilateral hippocampal volume reductions, specifically affecting the dentate gyrus (DG) and CA3 subregion, and increased microvascular lesions (white matter hyperintensities [WMH]). These observations suggest that the adverse health and functional outcomes associated with chronic PTSD in older patients may be explained by a deleterious interaction between pathophysiologic changes underlying PTSD and the biology of aging, the end result of which is to accelerate senescence throughout the body and particularly in the brain. However, no prior study has explicitly tested this hypothesis by examining indices of aging in older adults with and without PTSD. In our ongoing IRB #7489, The investigator hypothesize that chronic PTSD, over and above other contributing factors, accelerates biological aging in the brain and body, leading to adverse behavioral consequences such as frailty and cognitive decline. To test these hypotheses, 150 individuals are being recruited who are aged≥50and diagnosed with PTSD. A control group of 150 age-, sex-, and trauma exposure-matched subjects without PTSD are being recruited and assessed. Included subjects undergo comprehensive neuropsychological assessment and cerebral blood volume functional magnetic resonance imaging (CBV-fMRI) to assess regional hippocampal metabolic activity and function. Structural MRI is performed to quantify WMH, regional brain volume, and cortical thickness while resting-state fMRI measures functional connectivity within hippocampal networks. PTSD subjects and controls are compared on measures of aging within the following domains: neural (DG CBV, WMH, morphology), cognitive (processing speed, memory, executive function, pattern separation), somatic (peripheral inflammatory markers, leukocyte telomere length, and measures of oxidative stress), and behavioral (grip strength, gait speed, fatigue levels). By elucidating the interaction of chronic PTSD with aging processes, data from this project may contribute to the development of rationally designed, personalized, and age-appropriate novel treatments.
Interim analyses of PTSD subjects in this study demonstrate a high degree of comorbidity with MDD. Among participants with PTSD enrolled to date, 67.1% meet the criteria for MDD and the mean Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD) is 18.1. The most prominent cognitive differences observed to date in our study between PTSD and TEHC subjects is executive dysfunction, which is common in late-life depression.
PTSD subjects have dramatically increased fatigability and prevalence of frailty criteria compared to TEHCs, abnormalities which are also frequently seen in our older MDD samples. Yet, the investigator has found that less than 25% of these individuals are currently receiving an adequate dose and duration of first-line pharmacotherapy for MDD, while only one-third report any past medication treatment. These data raise the question of whether patients with combined PTSD/MDD could benefit from adequate antidepressant medication treatment and to what degree their cognitive and physical function deficits would be reversible with this therapy.
- Being tested
- Escitalopram, Duloxetine
- Medical subject headings
- Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic, Depressive Disorder, Major
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
EscitalopramDrug
Also called lexapro
The participant will be begun on either escitalopram 10mg or duloxetine 30mg. Subjects will begin escitalopram 10mg, continue this dosage for 4 weeks, then if the HRSD >7 at Week 4, he/she will have their dosage increased to 20mg for the remainder of the 8 week study.
DuloxetineDrug
Also called cymbalta
Participants who have not responded to or not tolerated escitalopram in the current depressive episode will be started on duloxetine. They will take 30mg for the first 2 weeks, then, contingent on clinical assessment that the 30mg dose is sufficiently well tolerated, be increased to 60mg for the remaining 6 weeks of the study.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Treatment with escitalopram or duloxetine | Experimental | Participant will be begun on either escitalopram 10mg or duloxetine 30mg. The default medication will be escitalopram. Subjects will begin escitalopram 10mg, continue this dosage for 4 weeks, then if the Hamilton Rating Score for Depression (HRSD) >7 at Week 4, he/she will have their dosage increased to 20mg for the remainder of the 8 week study. Participants who have not responded to or not tolerated escitalopram in the current depressive episode will be started on duloxetine. They will take 30mg of duloxetine for the first 2 weeks, then, contingent on clinical assessment that the 30mg dose is sufficiently well tolerated, be increased to 60mg for the remaining 6 weeks of the study Receives: Drug: Escitalopram; Drug: Duloxetine |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Change in Hamilton Rating Score for Depression (HRSD) From Baseline to Week 8
Our target is depressive symptomatology as measured by the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD). The HRSD is a 24-item questionnaire used as an indication of depression and a guide to evaluating recovery. Total scores range from 0-74, not including atypical symptoms sub-scale. A score above 16 is typically considered to indicate the presence of depressive symptoms. Higher scores indicate greater severity. The change in Hamilton Rating Score for Depression (HRSD) from baseline to week 8 was calculated as Week 8 HRSD - Baseline HRSD.
Measured: Baseline and Week 8
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted6 Jan 2021
- Study start3 Mar 2021
- Primary completion20 May 2021
- Study completion20 May 2021
Why it stopped: Unable to recruit participants in a timely fashion due to COVID pandemic
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Posted resultsParticipant flow, outcome measures and adverse events reported by the sponsor.
- Other trials for Post Traumatic Stress DisorderStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
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
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 1 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- New York State Psychiatric Institute
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Bret Rutherford, New York State Psychiatric Institute
- Investigators
- Bret R Rutherford, MD, Principal investigator, New York State Psychiatric Institue
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04697693
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 8111
- Status last verified
- Apr 2022
- First submitted
- 4 Jan 2021
- Last updated
- 11 May 2022
- Results posted
- Yes, on ClinicalTrials.gov
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- Yes
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 11 May 2022. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Antidepressant Response in Older Adults With Comorbid PTSD and MDD
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04697693
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 8111
- Phase
- Phase 4
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- TerminatedReason stopped: Unable to recruit participants in a timely fashion due to COVID pandemic
- Enrolment
- 1 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- New York State Psychiatric InstituteUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 3 Mar 2021 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 20 May 2021 (actual)
- Study completion
- 20 May 2021 (actual)
- First posted
- 6 Jan 2021 (actual)
- Results
- Posted 28 Mar 2022
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
In the Investigator's ongoing studies of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in older adults, it has been found that older adults with PTSD frequently meet the criteria for comorbid Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). Moreover, relative to trauma-exposed healthy controls (TEHCs), elders with PTSD manifest executive function deficits, fatigability, and mobility and physical function deficits that are consistent with what the investigator has observed in depressed older adults. Yet, the investigator has found that very few older adults with combined PTSD/MDD have received appropriate antidepressant treatment for their condition. These findings give rise to the questions of (1) how effective is antidepressant treatment for depressive symptoms in the context of PTSD/MDD and (2) are cognitive and physical function deficits in PTSD/MDD patients reversible with effective antidepressant treatment?
Detailed description
Chronic PTSD in older adults leads to increased risk of mortality from cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, diabetes mellitus, and ulcerative gastrointestinal disease. PTSD appears to promote aging-associated syndromes such as frailty, and older patients with PTSD exhibit faster cognitive decline and have twice the risk of dementia compared to individuals without PTSD. In addition, laboratory studies report accelerated biological signatures of aging in PTSD patients, including shortened leukocyte telomere length, increases in pro-inflammatory cytokines, and increased oxidative stress. PTSD is associated with similar anatomical brain changes to those occurring with cognitive aging, including bilateral hippocampal volume reductions, specifically affecting the dentate gyrus (DG) and CA3 subregion, and increased microvascular lesions (white matter hyperintensities [WMH]). These observations suggest that the adverse health and functional outcomes associated with chronic PTSD in older patients may be explained by a deleterious interaction between pathophysiologic changes underlying PTSD and the biology of aging, the end result of which is to accelerate senescence throughout the body and particularly in the brain. However, no prior study has explicitly tested this hypothesis by examining indices of aging in older adults with and without PTSD. In our ongoing IRB #7489, The investigator hypothesize that chronic PTSD, over and above other contributing factors, accelerates biological aging in the brain and body, leading to adverse behavioral consequences such as frailty and cognitive decline. To test these hypotheses, 150 individuals are being recruited who are aged≥50and diagnosed with PTSD. A control group of 150 age-, sex-, and trauma exposure-matched subjects without PTSD are being recruited and assessed. Included subjects undergo comprehensive neuropsychological assessment and cerebral blood volume functional magnetic resonance imaging (CBV-fMRI) to assess regional hippocampal metabolic activity and function. Structural MRI is performed to quantify WMH, regional brain volume, and cortical thickness while resting-state fMRI measures functional connectivity within hippocampal networks. PTSD subjects and controls are compared on measures of aging within the following domains: neural (DG CBV, WMH, morphology), cognitive (processing speed, memory, executive function, pattern separation), somatic (peripheral inflammatory markers, leukocyte telomere length, and measures of oxidative stress), and behavioral (grip strength, gait speed, fatigue levels). By elucidating the interaction of chronic PTSD with aging processes, data from this project may contribute to the development of rationally designed, personalized, and age-appropriate novel treatments.
Interim analyses of PTSD subjects in this study demonstrate a high degree of comorbidity with MDD. Among participants with PTSD enrolled to date, 67.1% meet the criteria for MDD and the mean Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD) is 18.1. The most prominent cognitive differences observed to date in our study between PTSD and TEHC subjects is executive dysfunction, which is common in late-life depression.
PTSD subjects have dramatically increased fatigability and prevalence of frailty criteria compared to TEHCs, abnormalities which are also frequently seen in our older MDD samples. Yet, the investigator has found that less than 25% of these individuals are currently receiving an adequate dose and duration of first-line pharmacotherapy for MDD, while only one-third report any past medication treatment. These data raise the question of whether patients with combined PTSD/MDD could benefit from adequate antidepressant medication treatment and to what degree their cognitive and physical function deficits would be reversible with this therapy.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 1
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Treatment with escitalopram or duloxetine | Experimental | Drug: Escitalopram, Drug: DuloxetineParticipant will be begun on either escitalopram 10mg or duloxetine 30mg. The default medication will be escitalopram. Subjects will begin escitalopram 10mg, continue this dosage for 4 weeks, then if the Hamilton Rating Score for Depression (HRSD) >7 at Week 4, he/she will have their dosage increased to 20mg for the remainder of the 8 week study. Participants who have not responded to or not tolerated escitalopram in the current depressive episode will be started on duloxetine. They will take 30mg of duloxetine for the first 2 weeks, then, contingent on clinical assessment that the 30mg dose is sufficiently well tolerated, be increased to 60mg for the remaining 6 weeks of the study |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 60 to 105 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (4 listed)
- Individual has completed IRB 7489
- Diagnosed with DSM 5 MDD
- HRSD >=18
- Willing to and capable of providing informed consent and complying with study procedures.
Key exclusion criteria (3 listed)
- History of allergic or adverse reaction to
- Non-response to adequate trial of escitalopram (at least 4 weeks at dose of 20mg) and duloxetine (at least 4 weeks at dose of 60mg)during the current episode.
- Current treatment with psychotherapy, antidepressants, or other psychotropic medications.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| EscitalopramAlso: lexaproThe participant will be begun on either escitalopram 10mg or duloxetine 30mg. Subjects will begin escitalopram 10mg, continue this dosage for 4 weeks, then if the HRSD >7 at Week 4, he/she will have their dosage increased to 20mg for the remainder of the 8 week study. | Drug | Treatment with escitalopram or duloxetine |
| DuloxetineAlso: cymbaltaParticipants who have not responded to or not tolerated escitalopram in the current depressive episode will be started on duloxetine. They will take 30mg for the first 2 weeks, then, contingent on clinical assessment that the 30mg dose is sufficiently well tolerated, be increased to 60mg for the remaining 6 weeks of the study. | Drug | Treatment with escitalopram or duloxetine |
Primary outcome
Change in Hamilton Rating Score for Depression (HRSD) From Baseline to Week 8
Time frame: Baseline and Week 8
Our target is depressive symptomatology as measured by the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD). The HRSD is a 24-item questionnaire used as an indication of depression and a guide to evaluating recovery. Total scores range from 0-74, not including atypical symptoms sub-scale. A score above 16 is typically considered to indicate the presence of depressive symptoms. Higher scores indicate greater severity. The change in Hamilton Rating Score for Depression (HRSD) from baseline to week 8 was calculated as Week 8 HRSD - Baseline HRSD.
Results and safety
Loading the posted results from ClinicalTrials.gov…
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 11 May 2022.
- Posted resultsParticipant flow, baseline, all outcome measures and adverse events.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Bret R Rutherford, MD principal investigator
New York State Psychiatric Institue
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A Phase 4 study testing Escitalopram and Duloxetine in people with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Major Depressive Disorder, run by New York State Psychiatric Institute at 1 site 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 3 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: stopped early, as of the sponsor's last update on 11 May 2022. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site 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 Mar 2022). 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?
Change in Hamilton Rating Score for Depression (HRSD) From Baseline to Week 8 (time frame: Baseline and Week 8). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
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 11 May 2022.