Stanford Accelerated Intelligent Neuromodulation Therapy for Treatment-Resistant Depression (SAINT-TRD)

Treatment Resistant Depression Clinical Trial

— aTBS  

Official title:

Stanford Accelerated Intelligent Neuromodulation Therapy for Treatment-Resistant Depression (SAINT-TRD)

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT03068715
• Other study ID #: Blinded-33797
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: March 20, 2017
• Est. completion date: January 9, 2021

Study information

• Verified date: April 2022
• Source: Stanford University
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

This study evaluates an accelerated schedule of theta-burst stimulation using a transcranial magnetic stimulation device for treatment-resistant depression. In a double-blind fashion, half the participants will receive accelerated theta-burst stimulation while half will receive sham treatment.

Description:

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is an established therapy for treatment-resistant depression. The approved method for treatment is 10Hz stimulation for 40 min over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (L-DLPFC). This methodology has been effective in real world situations. The limitations of this approach include the duration of the treatment (approximately 40 minutes per treatment session, 5 days per week, for 4-8 weeks). Recently, researchers have pursued modifying the treatment parameters to reduce treatment times with some preliminary successes. This study aims to further modify the parameters to create a more rapid form of the treatment and look at the change in neuroimaging biomarkers.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 30
• Est. completion date: January 9, 2021
• Est. primary completion date: January 25, 2020
• Accepts healthy volunteers: No
• Gender: All
• Age group: 22 Years to 80 Years

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• Male or female, 22 to 80 years of age.
• Able to provide informed consent.
• Diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and currently experiencing a Major Depressive Episode (MDE).
• Participants may currently be on a stable and adequate dose of SSRI antidepressant therapy. Participants may choose to not be on antidepressant therapy for the study duration, or to be switched from other classes to a medication from the SSRI class.
• Participants may also have a history of intolerance to at least 2 antidepressant medications. These patients with the intolerance history will not be required to be currently taking an antidepressant medication.
• Participants must qualify as "Moderately Treatment Refractory" or "High Treatment Refractory" using the Maudsley staging method.
• Meet the threshold on the total HAMD17 score of >/=20 at both screening and baseline visits (Day -5/-14 and Day 0).
• Meet the threshold on the total MADRS score of >/=20 at both screening and baseline visits (Day -5/-14 and Day 0).
• Meet the threshold on the total BDI-II score of >/=20 at both screening and baseline visits (Day -5/-14 and Day 0).
• In good general health, as ascertained by medical history.
• If female, a status of non-childbearing potential or use of an acceptable form of birth control. The form of birth control will be documented at screening and baseline.
• Concurrent hypnotic therapy (e.g., with zolpidem, zaleplon, melatonin, or trazodone) will be allowed if the therapy has been stable for at least 4 weeks prior to screening and if it is expected to remain stable.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Female of childbearing potential who is not willing to use one of the specified forms of birth control during the study.
• Female that is pregnant or breastfeeding.
• Female with a positive pregnancy test at participation.
• Total HAMD17 score of < 20 at the screen or baseline visits.
• Total MADRS score of < 20 at the screen or baseline visits.
• Total BDI-II score of < 20 at the screen or baseline visits.
• Current diagnosis of a Substance Use Disorder (Abuse or Dependence, as defined by DSM-IV-TR), with the exception of nicotine dependence, at screening or within six months prior to screening.
• Current diagnosis of Axis I disorders other than Dysthymic Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Social Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder, Agoraphobia, or Specific Phobia (unless one of these is comorbid and clinically unstable, and/or the focus of the participant's treatment for the past six months or more).
• History of schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorders, or any history of psychotic symptoms in the current or previous depressive episodes.
• Any Axis I or Axis II Disorder, which at screening is clinically predominant to their MDD or has been predominant to their MDD at any time within six months prior to screening.
• Considered at significant risk for suicide during the course of the study.
• Cognitive impairment (as noted by previous diagnoses-including dementia).
• Has a clinically significant abnormality on the screening examination that might affect safety, study participation, or confound interpretation of study results.
• Participation in any clinical trial with an investigational drug or device within the past month or concurrent to study participation.
• Any current or past history of any physical condition which in the investigator's opinion might put the subject at risk or interfere with study results interpretation.
• History of positive screening urine test for drugs of abuse at screening: cocaine, amphetamines, barbiturates, opiates.
• Current (or chronic) use of opiates.
• History of epilepsy.
• History of rTMS exposure.
• History of any implanted device or psychosurgery for depression.
• Any history of ECT (greater than 8 sessions) without meeting responder criteria
• History of shrapnel or metal in the head or skull.
• "Low Treatment Refractory" using the Maudsley staging method.
• History of cardiovascular disease or cardiac event.
• History of OCD.
• History of autism spectrum disorder.
• History of intractable migraine
• History of independent sleep disorder.

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Depression
• Depressive Disorder
• Depressive Disorder, Treatment-Resistant
• Treatment Resistant Depression

Intervention

Device:
• Active TBS-DLPFC
Participants in the active stimulation group will receive intermittent TBS to left DLPFC. The L-DLPFC will be targeted utilizing the Localite neuronavigation system. Stimulation intensity will be standardized at 90% of RMT and adjusted to the skull to cortical surface distance (see Nahas 2004). Stimulation will be delivered to the L-DLPFC using a MagPro stimulator.
• Sham TBS-DLPFC
The parameters in the active arms will be as above with the internal randomization of the device internally switching to sham in a blinded fashion.
• Open label TBS-DLPFC
All patients will have the option to receive active, open label aTBS treatment after the 1-month mark, following the blinded phase. Stimulation will be delivered to the L-DLPFC using a MagPro stimulator or Nexstim TMS device.

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
United States	Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford School of Medicine	Stanford	California

Sponsors (1)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
Stanford University

Country where clinical trial is conducted

United States, 

References & Publications (16)

Biswal B, Yetkin FZ, Haughton VM, Hyde JS. Functional connectivity in the motor cortex of resting human brain using echo-planar MRI. Magn Reson Med. 1995 Oct;34(4):537-41. — View Citation

Chung SW, Hill AT, Rogasch NC, Hoy KE, Fitzgerald PB. Use of theta-burst stimulation in changing excitability of motor cortex: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2016 Apr;63:43-64. doi: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.01.008. Epub 2016 Feb 3. Review. — View Citation

Chung SW, Hoy KE, Fitzgerald PB. Theta-burst stimulation: a new form of TMS treatment for depression? Depress Anxiety. 2015 Mar;32(3):182-92. doi: 10.1002/da.22335. Epub 2014 Nov 28. Review. — View Citation

Daskalakis ZJ. Theta-burst transcranial magnetic stimulation in depression: when less may be more. Brain. 2014 Jul;137(Pt 7):1860-2. doi: 10.1093/brain/awu123. Epub 2014 May 15. — View Citation

Fox MD, Snyder AZ, Vincent JL, Corbetta M, Van Essen DC, Raichle ME. The human brain is intrinsically organized into dynamic, anticorrelated functional networks. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2005 Jul 5;102(27):9673-8. Epub 2005 Jun 23. — View Citation

Fung PK, Robinson PA. Neural field theory of synaptic metaplasticity with applications to theta burst stimulation. J Theor Biol. 2014 Jan 7;340:164-76. doi: 10.1016/j.jtbi.2013.09.021. Epub 2013 Sep 21. — View Citation

George MS, Lisanby SH, Avery D, McDonald WM, Durkalski V, Pavlicova M, Anderson B, Nahas Z, Bulow P, Zarkowski P, Holtzheimer PE 3rd, Schwartz T, Sackeim HA. Daily left prefrontal transcranial magnetic stimulation therapy for major depressive disorder: a sham-controlled randomized trial. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2010 May;67(5):507-16. doi: 10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2010.46. — View Citation

George MS, Wassermann EM, Williams WA, Callahan A, Ketter TA, Basser P, Hallett M, Post RM. Daily repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) improves mood in depression. Neuroreport. 1995 Oct 2;6(14):1853-6. — View Citation

Greicius MD, Krasnow B, Reiss AL, Menon V. Functional connectivity in the resting brain: a network analysis of the default mode hypothesis. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2003 Jan 7;100(1):253-8. Epub 2002 Dec 27. — View Citation

Greicius MD, Supekar K, Menon V, Dougherty RF. Resting-state functional connectivity reflects structural connectivity in the default mode network. Cereb Cortex. 2009 Jan;19(1):72-8. doi: 10.1093/cercor/bhn059. Epub 2008 Apr 9. — View Citation

Holtzheimer PE 3rd, McDonald WM, Mufti M, Kelley ME, Quinn S, Corso G, Epstein CM. Accelerated repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation for treatment-resistant depression. Depress Anxiety. 2010 Oct;27(10):960-3. doi: 10.1002/da.20731. — View Citation

Jelic MB, Milanovic SD, Filipovic SR. Differential effects of facilitatory and inhibitory theta burst stimulation of the primary motor cortex on motor learning. Clin Neurophysiol. 2015 May;126(5):1016-23. doi: 10.1016/j.clinph.2014.09.003. Epub 2014 Sep 16. — View Citation

Pascual-Leone A, Rubio B, Pallardó F, Catalá MD. Rapid-rate transcranial magnetic stimulation of left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in drug-resistant depression. Lancet. 1996 Jul 27;348(9022):233-7. — View Citation

Plewnia C, Pasqualetti P, Große S, Schlipf S, Wasserka B, Zwissler B, Fallgatter A. Treatment of major depression with bilateral theta burst stimulation: a randomized controlled pilot trial. J Affect Disord. 2014 Mar;156:219-23. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2013.12.025. Epub 2013 Dec 28. — View Citation

Prasser J, Schecklmann M, Poeppl TB, Frank E, Kreuzer PM, Hajak G, Rupprecht R, Landgrebe M, Langguth B. Bilateral prefrontal rTMS and theta burst TMS as an add-on treatment for depression: a randomized placebo controlled trial. World J Biol Psychiatry. 2015 Jan;16(1):57-65. doi: 10.3109/15622975.2014.964768. Epub 2014 Nov 28. — View Citation

Thut G, Pascual-Leone A. A review of combined TMS-EEG studies to characterize lasting effects of repetitive TMS and assess their usefulness in cognitive and clinical neuroscience. Brain Topogr. 2010 Jan;22(4):219-32. doi: 10.1007/s10548-009-0115-4. Epub 2009 Oct 28. Review. — View Citation

* Note: There are 16 references in all — Click here to view all references

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Percentage Change in Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) Score From Pre-treatment to 1-month Post-treatment.	A ten item diagnostic questionnaire used to measure the severity of depressive episodes in patients with mood disorders.The MADRS has an overall score range from 0-60, with higher scores corresponding to higher levels of depression.	Pretreatment (baseline), 1-month post-treatment
Secondary	Percentage Change in the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAMD-17)	A provider administered questionnaire used to assess remission and recovery from depression. The HAMD-17 is a 17-item questionnaire to assess depression severity. Each item is scored from 0-4, with higher scores representing increasing depression severity.	pre-treatment (baseline) to 1-month post-treatment
Secondary	Change in the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) Score	The Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) is a questionnaire used for suicide assessment developed by multiple institutions including Columbia University. Participants were asked a series of 6 yes or no questions. Yes answers indicate more suicidal ideation. Here we report a count of participants with an increase, decrease or no change in suicidal ideation.	Pretreatment (baseline) to immediately post-treatment (day 8).
Secondary	Change in the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-6) Score	The Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS, also known as Ham-D) is the most widely used clinician-administered depression assessment scale.; The Ham-6 version consists of 6 items assessing for: mood, guilt, general somatic symptoms, work and activities, anxiety and slowness of thought and speech). Each item is scored on a scale of 0 to 4, except for the somatic symptoms item, which is scored 0 to 2. On the HAM-6 there can be a total score of 22. Higher scores represent higher depression severity. Here, we report a count of participants with an overall increase, decrease or no change in total HAM-6 score.; Participants with an increase in total score (row 3) would signify a worse outcome than participants with a decrease in total score.	Baseline (pre-treatment) and at 1-month post-treatment
Secondary	Percentage Change in the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAMD-17)	The Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS, also known as Ham-D) is the most widely used clinician-administered depression assessment scale.; The Ham-17 version consists of 17 items assessing for: mood, guilt, general somatic symptoms, work and activities, anxiety and slowness of thought and speech. Each item is scored on a scale of 0 to 4, except for the somatic, sleep and insight items which are scored 0 to 2. On the HAM-17 there can be a total score of 22. Higher scores represent higher depression severity.	Pre-treatment (baseline) to immediately post-treatment (day 8).
Secondary	Change From Baseline Functional Connectivity to Immediate Post-treatment	We quantified the functional connectivity change between the subcallosal cingulate to the default mode network and within the default mode network using baseline and immediate post-treatment MRI scans. We report below, changes of functional connectivity (Fisher's Z score of Pearson correlation coefficient for each pair of ROIs) from immediately post-treatment (day 8) to baseline.	Pretreatment (baseline) to immediately post-treatment (day 8).
Secondary	Change From Baseline Functional Connectivity to 1-month Post-treatment	We will assess functional connectivity as seen on resting state fMRI, between the subcallosal cingulate to the default mode network and within the default mode network. We report below, changes of functional connectivity (Fisher's Z score of Pearson correlation coefficient for each pair of ROIs) from post-treatment(1m) to baseline.	Pretreatment (baseline) to 1-month post-treatment
Secondary	Change in Baseline Heart Rate Variability to 1-month Post-treatment	Heart rate variability measures will be compared pre-treatment and 1-month post-treatment.	Pretreatment to 1-month post-treatment
Secondary	Change in Baseline Heart Rate Variability to Immediate Post-treatment	Heart rate variability measures will be compared pre-treatment and immediately post-treatment.	Pretreatment to immediate post-treatment (day 8).