Clinical trial NCT01559324: Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) for Elderly Patients With Major Depression
Official title: Randomized Controlled Comparison of Bifrontal and Right Unilateral ECT as to Effects on Depression, Global Cognitive Function and Biomarkers.
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: PHASE4
Conditions: Major Depression
Lead sponsor: Diakonhjemmet Hospital
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: MD Tor Magne Bjølseth
name: MD Torfinn Lødøen Gaarden
First posted: 2012-03-21
Enrollment: 92
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 60
Maximum age (years): 85
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: TREATMENT

Brief summary: ECT (electroconvulsive therapy) is mostly given to patients between the age of 60 - 85 years. There is limited evidence on the efficacy and cognitive side-effects of right unilateral (RU) and bifrontal (BF) electrode positions, the placements that are considered safe for the elderly. As far as the investigators know no randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have yet been published describing this population treated with BF or RU ECT. Non-demented depressed patients will be randomized to either method (n = 2x36). Symptom intensity, global cognitive function and biomarkers will be related to 20 healthy comparators. Testing, evaluation of depression and blood-tests are done before ECT-treatment, after a series of 6-16 ECT and 3 months after terminated ECT-treatment.

Detailed description: Patients are assessed with Mini Mental Status Examination. Postictal reorientation time is measured. There is also a weekly rating of depression depth during the series. After the 6th ECT; Mini Mental Status Examination For a subgroup of patients; extensive blood-test samples are taken on the day of the 6th ECT.

Some of the patients receive continuation-ECT once monthly after the series. In these months patients receive treatment as usual (naturalistic observation).

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Major depression, either unipolar or bipolar.
* Competent to give informed consent.
* Passing a thorough physical examination

Exclusion Criteria:

* Previous ECT non - response
* ECT given during last 6 months
* Ongoing substance abuse
* Rapid cycling bipolar or schizoaffective disorder
* Parkinsons disease
* Cognitive impairment (MMSE \< 24/30)

Primary outcomes:
measure: Depression
timeFrame: 5 months
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Cognitive function
timeFrame: 5 months
measure: Blood-tests
timeFrame: 5 months
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Oslo
country: Norway
facility: Diakonhjemmet Hospital, Department of Old Age Psychiatry
Study officials:
affiliation: University Hospital, Akershus
name: Lars Tanum, Dr.Med.
role: STUDY_DIRECTOR
References:
citation: van der Wurff FB, Stek ML, Hoogendijk WJ, Beekman AT. The efficacy and safety of ECT in depressed older adults: a literature review. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2003 Oct;18(10):894-904. doi: 10.1002/gps.944.
citation: Tielkes CE, Comijs HC, Verwijk E, Stek ML. The effects of ECT on cognitive functioning in the elderly: a review. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2008 Aug;23(8):789-95. doi: 10.1002/gps.1989.
citation: Gardner BK, O'Connor DW. A review of the cognitive effects of electroconvulsive therapy in older adults. J ECT. 2008 Mar;24(1):68-80. doi: 10.1097/YCT.0b013e318165c7b0.
citation: Kellner CH, Tobias KG, Wiegand J. Electrode placement in electroconvulsive therapy (ECT): A review of the literature. J ECT. 2010 Sep;26(3):175-80. doi: 10.1097/YCT.0b013e3181e48154.
citation: Kellner CH, Knapp R, Husain MM, Rasmussen K, Sampson S, Cullum M, McClintock SM, Tobias KG, Martino C, Mueller M, Bailine SH, Fink M, Petrides G. Bifrontal, bitemporal and right unilateral electrode placement in ECT: randomised trial. Br J Psychiatry. 2010 Mar;196(3):226-34. doi: 10.1192/bjp.bp.109.066183.
citation: Gaarden TL, Engedal K, Benth JS, Larsen M, Lorentzen B, Mollnes TE, Bjolseth TM, Castellheim A. Exploration of 27 plasma immune markers: a cross-sectional comparison of 64 old psychiatric inpatients having unipolar major depression and 18 non-depressed old persons. BMC Geriatr. 2018 Jun 25;18(1):149. doi: 10.1186/s12877-018-0836-x.
citation: Bjolseth TM, Engedal K, Benth JS, Dybedal GS, Gaarden TL, Tanum L. Clinical efficacy of formula-based bifrontal versus right unilateral electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in the treatment of major depression among elderly patients: a pragmatic, randomized, assessor-blinded, controlled trial. J Affect Disord. 2015 Apr 1;175:8-17. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2014.12.054. Epub 2014 Dec 31.