Conditions: Major Depressive Disorder
Keywords: depressed geriatric older adults antidepressants depression anxious major depressive disorder MDD
Allocation: RANDOMIZED | Intervention model: PARALLEL
Enrollment: 65
Healthy volunteers: no

Brief summary:
The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of vilazodone for the treatment of depression in older adults.

Detailed description:
This is a 12-week double-blind comparison of a novel antidepressant, vilazodone, to the gold-standard drug, paroxetine, for the treatment of geriatric depression. We are interested in assessing the difference in response to vilazodone (VLZ) compared to paroxetine (PAR). We hope to detect difference in response in primary outcomes (depressed mood) and secondary outcomes cognition. We are seeking to examine this directly in 80 older adults (60 years of age or older) with major depression with anticipated 60 completers. This proposed trial will serve as a pilot study to estimate the efficacy and tolerability of the drug in older depressed adults, and use this project for dose-finding in this population.

Arms:
arm 1: After screening and baseline test results are reviewed and eligibility criteria are confirmed, medications will be dispensed if patients continue to meet eligibility criteria and sign the informed consent form. All eligible subjects will be randomized to vilazodone or paroxetine group using a computer-generated random assignment scheme, which assigned subjects in a 1:1 ratio to each group. Randomization will be done prior to subject's being assigned to the groups. Doses of the drugs will be adjusted according to individual tolerability and safety. arm 2: After screening and baseline test results are reviewed and eligibility criteria are confirmed, medications will be dispensed if patients continue to meet eligibility criteria and sign the informed consent form. All eligible subjects will be randomized to vilazodone or paroxetine group using a computer-generated random assignment scheme, which assigned subjects in a 1:1 ratio to each group. Randomization will be done prior to subject's being assigned to the groups. Doses of the drugs will be adjusted according to individual tolerability and safety.

Interventions: intervention 1: Vilazodone; Viibryd intervention 2: Paroxetine; Paxil
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: Subjects randomized to receive vilazodone blindly will have incremental dose titration of 10mg per day for the 1st week; 20mg per day the 2nd week; 40mg per day for the 3rd-12th week. Doses of the drugs will be adjusted according to individual tolerability and safety. intervention 2: Subjects randomized to receive paroxetine blindly will have incremental dose titration of paroxetine 10mg per day for the 1st week; 20mg per day for the 2nd week; and 30mg per day for the 3rd-12 week. Doses of the drugs will be adjusted according to individual tolerability and safety.

Protocol document: