HypErthermia as an Additional Treatment for the Biology and Experience of Depression

Major Depressive Disorder Clinical Trial

— HEATBED  

Official title:

HypErthermia as an Additional Treatment for the Biology and Experience of Depression: The HEATBED Study

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT05041361
• Other study ID #: HEATBED
• Secondary ID: R34AT011221
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: October 11, 2021
• Est. completion date: March 1, 2023

Study information

• Verified date: May 2024
• Source: University of California, San Francisco
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

This single-arm feasibility trial administered up to 8 weekly (early phase) or 4 bi-weekly (later phase) whole-body hyperthermia (WBH) sessions and 8 weekly cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) sessions to adults aged 18 years or older with major depressive disorder (MDD).

Description:

Major Depressive Disorder afflicts more than 300 million people worldwide and is the leading cause of life years lost to disability. Current treatments have important limitations in efficacy and, in the case of medication, substantial side-effects. There is thus a compelling need for additional effective, well-tolerated treatments. One such potential treatment is whole-body hyperthermia (WBH). The investigators hypothesize that WBH may be particularly effective in combination with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), an established treatment for depression. This work holds important promise to improve treatment of depression and advance understanding of the role of integrated mind-body therapies for mood disorders.

This single-arm feasibility trial piloted and optimized procedures for integrating WBH (initially 8 weekly sessions). During the course of this feasibility trial, with oversight and permission from the Sponsor, the 8 weekly WBH sessions were reduced to 4 bi-weekly WBH sessions to improve feasibility.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 16
• Est. completion date: March 1, 2023
• Est. primary completion date: March 1, 2023
• Accepts healthy volunteers: No
• Gender: All
• Age group: 18 Years and older

Eligibility

Inclusion criteria:

• Current major depressive episode of at least 4 weeks duration as assessed by the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 (SCID) and a Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) score greater than or equal to 21 at screening

• Age of at least 18 years old

• Must have smartphone onto which they can download an app from Apple App or Google Play stores

• English speaking

• Ability to lie supine (on back) for 2 hours (required for WBH sessions)

• Must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19

Exclusion criteria:

• Greater than 30 percent reduction in BDI-II score between Screen 1 and Screen 2 (conducted about 1 week after Screen 1)

• Suicide attempt within the prior 12 months and/or severe current suicidal ideation

• Any of the following medical conditions: cardiovascular disease (other than controlled hypertension), seizure disorder, history of cerebrovascular accident (CVA) or other serious neurological condition (e.g. Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, or dementia), current neoplasia, any active enclosed infection (e.g. dental abscess, joint infection), hemophilia or other cause for excessive bleeding (e.g. platelet disorder, or other medical condition that in the opinion of investigators may increase the risk of WBH)

• Comorbid psychiatric conditions or history of comorbid psychiatric conditions that might better explain depressive symptoms, including schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, Bipolar Disorder I, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, Alcohol Dependence, or Drug Dependence

• Inability to fit into the sauna device

• Known hypersensitivity to hyperthermia and/or infrared exposure

• Breast implants

• Pregnancy, active lactation or intention to become pregnant during the study period

Use of any:

• Medication that might impact thermoregulatory capacity, including: diuretics, barbiturates, beta-blockers, antipsychotic agents, anti-cholinergic agents or chronic use of antihistamines, aspirin (other than low-dose ASA for prophylactic purposes)

• Medication prescribed for the treatment of depression (antidepressant medication; ADM) including but not limited to: selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors [SSRIs], Serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), Tricyclics (TCAs) and atypical antipsychotic and antidepressant medications. Participants must have been free of these medications for at least 4 weeks

• Antibiotics (past 14 days), pain medication (opioids) due to procedure, e.g., dental procedure (past 14 days), emergency contraception pill (past 14 days)

• Medication that in the judgment of the PI would increase risk of study participation or introduce excessive variance into physiological or behavioral responses to WBH

• Recent use (multiple consecutive doses) of: non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), systemic corticosteroids, cytokine antagonists

• Greater than 30 percent reduction in Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) score between Screen 1 and Screen 2

• Has begun new psychotherapy treatment in the prior 6 weeks

• Regular use of any nicotine products, including cigarettes, vapes, chewing tobacco, or other forms of nicotine (if use is not regular, must be willing to refrain for 24 hours before and 24 hours after each WBH session)

• Unwilling to refrain from using marijuana products and alcohol for the 24 hours before and 24 hours after each WBH session

• Unwilling to refrain from sauna use outside of study procedures during study participation, and must not have used a sauna for more than 20 minutes on any single occasion in the 60 days before the screen 2/baseline study visit, and must not have used a sauna in the 30 days before the screen 2/baseline study visit

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Depressive Disorder
• Depressive Disorder, Major
• Hyperthermia
• Major Depressive Disorder

Intervention

Behavioral:
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a behavioral (psychotherapeutic) intervention for major depressive disorder (MDD). A highly trained masters' or PhD-level clinician will administer 8 weekly CBT sessions (~50 minutes each), following the standard cognitive behavioral therapy for depression protocol.

Device:
• Whole-Body Hyperthermia (WBH)
Whole-body hyperthermia (WBH) will be administered by trained research assistants. Preparation for the WBH, the WBH session, and cool down will last 3.5-4 hours, with active WBH lasting up to approximately 140 minutes. WBH will take place in an infrared sauna dome, and the active heating phase will last until the participants has achieved a core (rectal) temperature of 101.3 F.

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
United States	University of California San Francisco	San Francisco	California

Sponsors (2)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
University of California, San Francisco	National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH)

Country where clinical trial is conducted

United States, 

References & Publications (2)

Hanusch KU, Janssen CH, Billheimer D, Jenkins I, Spurgeon E, Lowry CA, Raison CL. Whole-body hyperthermia for the treatment of major depression: associations with thermoregulatory cooling. Am J Psychiatry. 2013 Jul;170(7):802-4. doi: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2013.12111395. No abstract available. — View Citation

Janssen CW, Lowry CA, Mehl MR, Allen JJ, Kelly KL, Gartner DE, Medrano A, Begay TK, Rentscher K, White JJ, Fridman A, Roberts LJ, Robbins ML, Hanusch KU, Cole SP, Raison CL. Whole-Body Hyperthermia for the Treatment of Major Depressive Disorder: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Psychiatry. 2016 Aug 1;73(8):789-95. doi: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2016.1031. Erratum In: JAMA Psychiatry. 2016 Aug 1;73(8):878. — View Citation

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Average Number of Planned WBH Sessions Completed	Investigators will average and report the number of completed WBH sessions (4 bi-weekly WBH sessions or 8 weekly WBH sessions offered to participants).	12 weeks
Secondary	Average Number of Planned Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) Assessments Completed	Investigators will average and report the number of completed BDI-II assessments (10 planned per participant)	12 weeks
Secondary	Change in Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) From Baseline to 12-week Assessment	Change in BDI-II from baseline assessment to final assessment. BDI-II scores range from 0 to 63 with higher scores indicating more severe depression symptoms.	Baseline and 12 weeks

External Links

•   Access to e-screen for interested prospective participants