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Depressive Disorder, MajorPhase 4NCT00370058

Study on the Influence of Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) on Homocysteine Levels

A Phase 4 study testing ECT treatment in people with Depressive Disorder, Major, run by University of Erlangen-Nürnberg Medical School at 1 site in Germany.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

Elevated homocysteine levels are associated with depression and cognitive impairment. When depression ameliorates due to treatment, homocysteine serum levels often normalize. Aim of the present study is to investigate, whether repeated ECT treatment leads to changes in homocysteine levels and if these changes are… Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 to 80 years
Conditions the study is for
Depressive Disorder, Major
What is being tested?
ECT treatment
Type of treatment
Surgery or procedure
How many people
10 participants
Where
1 siteGermany
Study dates
Aug 2006to Aug 2007
Phase
Phase 4
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 to 80 years
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Men and women aged 18 years or above
  • Diagnosis of major depressive disorder (according to DSM IV)
  • Secured therapy resistance (at least two trials with antidepressive medication of different classes for more then 4 weeks in adequate dosage)
  • Written, informed consent

Who cannot join

  • Major neurological or other diseases
  • Current medication with antiepileptic drugs
  • History of major head trauma
  • Any medical condition not allowing anesthesia

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

Germany1 site
  • Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Erlangen-Nuremberg

    Erlangen, 91054

Other trials in Germany

About this study

Official title: Modulation of Homocysteine-Plasma Levels by ECT - Association With Clinical Response. A Pilot Study in Patients With Major Depression

Elevated homocysteine levels are associated with depression and cognitive impairment. When depression ameliorates due to treatment, homocysteine serum levels often normalize. Aim of the present study is to investigate, whether repeated ECT treatment leads to changes in homocysteine levels and if these changes are associated with the occurrence of cognitive impairment after ECS.

10 patients suffering from therapy-resistant depression shall be enrolled. Patients are treated with repeated ECT (three times the week). Before, directly after and one day after ECT treatment, blood samples are drawn and patients receive cognitive testing. Depressive symptomatology is checked with different rating scales.

Read the detailed description

BACKGROUND:

Elevated homocysteine levels have been found in depressive disorders. The modulating effects of homocysteine on glutamatergic neurotransmission have been discussed to be an underlying cause of depression and can also lead to cognitive impairment and may facilitate seizures. Electroconvulsive therapy is the most effective treatment for depression, but often leads to cognitive impairments.

HYPOTHESIS:

Homocysteine levels normalize during rECT. This normalization is associated with the clinical improvement of depression. Short term changes in homocysteine levels (i.e. increase directly after ECT) may explain the cognitive impairments of the patients.

METHOD:

10 patients with therapy-resistant depressive disorder are to be enrolled into the trial. Patients are treated with rECT, two to three times a week. Blood withdrawal and psychometric analysis will be performed before, directly after and one day after ECT treatment 1,4,7,10,(13). Necessity of further treatment will be checked after the first 6 ECTs.

Being tested
ECT treatment
Keywords
ect, depression, homocysteine, mthfr genotype
Medical subject headings
Depressive Disorder, Major, Epilepsy, Rolandic, Depression

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • ECT treatmentProcedure or surgery

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Homocysteine serum levels

Secondary outcomes (3)
  1. Cognitive functioning (e.g. concentration, memory tasks, etc.)

  2. Depressive symptomatology

  3. Measures of Seizure quality (duration, threshold, postictal suppression index, ...)

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted30 Aug 2006 (estimated)
  2. Study startAug 2006
  3. Primary completionAug 2007
  4. Study completionAug 2007

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase 4
Primary purpose
Diagnosis
Allocation
Non-randomised
Intervention model
Single group
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
10 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT00370058
Sponsor's protocol ID
ECT and Homocysteine
Other IDs
Homocystein, ECT
Status last verified
Dec 2020
First submitted
29 Aug 2006
Last updated
14 Dec 2020
Results posted
No

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A Phase 4 study testing ECT treatment in people with Depressive Disorder, Major, run by University of Erlangen-Nürnberg Medical School at 1 site in Germany.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 4 inclusion and 4 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 14 Dec 2020. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in Germany. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

What does this phase mean?

Phase 4 studies take place after a treatment is approved, to learn more about its long-term benefits and risks in everyday use.

Not every study follows the same path, and some studies (observational studies, device studies) have no phase.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Homocysteine serum levels. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 14 Dec 2020.

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