Psychotic depression (PD) is a severe disorder that is present in 20% of mixed-age inpatients and in more than 40% of elderly inpatients hospitalized for the treatment of major depression. Acutely, PD is associated with a greater level of depression severity, functional impairment, and resistance to antidepressant treatment than nonpsychotic depression. Longitudinally, PD is associated with a greater likelihood of recurrence, a shorter symptom-free interval, greater disability, and an increased long-term risk of suicide. Among elderly patients, PD has also been associated with a high one year mortality rate. Although electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a highly effective treatment for PD, pharmacotherapy is more easily administered and generally preferred by many patients and psychiatrists. Furthermore, ECT is less available to, and less frequently used by minority ethnic groups, patients with low incomes, and those residing in rural areas. In the early 1980's a landmark NIMH randomized controlled trial demonstrated that a combination of high doses of both a tertiary amine tricyclic and a conventional antipsychotic was more efficacious than monotherapy with either medication. However, this combination has been associated with a high incidence of significant side effects, particularly in elderly patients. This collaborative U01 project builds on findings from the four sites principal investigators and others. Based on preliminary studies suggesting that sertraline, a serotonin-reuptake-inhibitor (SSRI) and olanzapine, an atypical antipsychotic, may be effective in the acute treatment of PD, this study uses a two-armed randomized double-blind parallel-group design to compare the efficacay and tolerability of combining these two medications to olanzapine alone. By blocking recruitment of subjects age greater than or equal to 60 on a 1:1 basis the study will determine the relationship between older age and remission, time to remission and tolerability. A 12-week acute phase efficacy study is followed by a 20-week continuation trial during which subjects who achieved partial remission enter a placebo-controlled augmentation trial that is based on their initial assignment. Remitted subjects are also followed during stabilization to determine the stability of remission and predictors of clinical and functional deterioration.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Type
Research Project--Cooperative Agreements (U01)
Project #
5U01MH062446-03
Application #
6754355
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZMH1-NRB-G (02))
Program Officer
Evans, Jovier D
Project Start
2002-09-06
Project End
2007-05-31
Budget Start
2004-06-01
Budget End
2005-05-31
Support Year
3
Fiscal Year
2004
Total Cost
$189,000
Indirect Cost
Name
University Health Network
Department
Type
DUNS #
208469486
City
Toronto
State
ON
Country
Canada
Zip Code
M5 2-M9
Neufeld, Nicholas H; Mulsant, Benoit H; Dickie, Erin W et al. (2018) Resting state functional connectivity in patients with remitted psychotic depression: A multi-centre STOP-PD study. EBioMedicine 36:446-453
Østergaard, Søren D; Rothschild, Anthony J; Flint, Alastair J et al. (2016) Establishing the cut-off score for remission and severity-ranges on the Psychotic Depression Assessment Scale (PDAS). J Affect Disord 190:111-114
Davies, Simon J C; Mulsant, Benoit H; Flint, Alastair J et al. (2016) SSRI-antipsychotic combination in psychotic depression: sertraline pharmacokinetics in the presence of olanzapine, a brief report from the STOP-PD study. Hum Psychopharmacol 31:252-5
Østergaard, S D; Rothschild, A J; Flint, A J et al. (2015) Rating scales measuring the severity of psychotic depression. Acta Psychiatr Scand 132:335-44
Bingham, Kathleen S; Whyte, Ellen M; Meyers, Barnett S et al. (2015) Relationship Between Cerebrovascular Risk, Cognition, and Treatment Outcome in Late-Life Psychotic Depression. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry 23:1270-1275
Gerretsen, Philip; Flint, Alastair J; Whyte, Ellen M et al. (2015) Impaired insight into delusions predicts treatment outcome during a randomized controlled trial for Psychotic Depression (STOP-PD study). J Clin Psychiatry 76:427-33
Østergaard, Søren D; Meyers, Barnett S; Flint, Alastair J et al. (2014) Measuring treatment response in psychotic depression: the Psychotic Depression Assessment Scale (PDAS) takes both depressive and psychotic symptoms into account. J Affect Disord 160:68-73
Østergaard, S D; Meyers, B S; Flint, A J et al. (2014) Measuring psychotic depression. Acta Psychiatr Scand 129:211-20
Flint, Alastair J; Iaboni, Andrea; Mulsant, Benoit H et al. (2014) Effect of sertraline on risk of falling in older adults with psychotic depression on olanzapine: results of a randomized placebo-controlled trial. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry 22:332-6
Flint, Alastair J; Meyers, Barnett S; Rothschild, Anthony J et al. (2013) Sustaining remission of psychotic depression: rationale, design and methodology of STOP-PD II. BMC Psychiatry 13:38

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