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Major Depressive DisorderNCT01496248

Efficacy Study of Korean Red Ginseng to Treat Depression

A study testing Korean Red Ginseng in people with Major Depressive Disorder, run by Korea University at 1 site in South Korea.

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

The purpose of this study is to determine whether Korean Red Ginseng are effective in the treatment of the residual symptoms of depression as an adjuvant treatment. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 to 55 years, women only
Conditions the study is for
Major Depressive Disorder
What is being tested?
Korean Red Ginseng
Type of treatment
Pill or oral medicine
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
35 participants
Where
1 siteSouth Korea
Study dates
Aug 2011to Dec 2012
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
Yes, posted in the registrySummary in the doctors' view

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 55 years
  • Women only
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult

Who may be able to join

  • Outpatients who met Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) criteria for major depressive disorder.
  • Those who are in remission, which is defined as a MADRS score 8 on two consecutive visits at a 4-week interval.
  • Their primary psychiatric clinician determined that they would benefit from an adjuvant treatment of Korean red ginseng for residual symptoms.

Who cannot join

  • Those who have a history of substance abuse or dependence within 1 month.
  • Those who have clinically significant abnormal laboratory values or any other abnormal baseline laboratory findings considered by psychiatrists to be indicative of conditions that might affect the study results.
  • Those who have a past history of hypersensitivity or intolerance to Korean red ginseng.
  • Those who participated in clinical trials within 1 month before entering the study entry.
  • Those who are pregnant or are breast feeding.
  • Those who have a immediate risk of harming self or others or history of suicide attempts in the year before the screening precluded inclusion in the study.
  • The patients unable/unlikely to comprehend/follow the protocol.

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

South Korea1 site
  • Korea University Ansan Hospital

    Ansan, Gyeonggi-do, 425-707

Other trials in South Korea

About this study

Official title: The Effect of Korean Red Ginseng as Adjuvant Treatment for the Residual Symptoms of Depression

The purpose of this study is to determine whether Korean Red Ginseng are effective in the treatment of the residual symptoms of depression as an adjuvant treatment.

Read the detailed description

Thirty-five female outpatients aging from 18 to 65 years, who were remitted from major depression with residual symptoms (Montgomery Asberg Depression Rating Scale, MADRS ≤ 12), were given Korean red ginseng at doses of 3g / day during 8 weeks.

Being tested
Korean Red Ginseng
Keywords
Major depressive disorder, Residual symptoms, Korean red ginseng
Medical subject headings
Depressive Disorder, Major

What participants receive

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

  • Korean Red GinsengDietary supplement

    100% of the past psychiatric medication dose will be maintained during 8 week study period. Korean Red ginseng will be started with 2g/day and then maintained using flexible dosing of 2-3g/day during the study period.

Study groups in NCT01496248
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Korean Red GinsengExperimentalExtract of Korean red ginseng was administrated to subjects through capsule form.
Receives: Dietary Supplement: Korean Red Ginseng

What is being measured

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

  1. Depression Residual Symptom Scale

    This consists of 25 items and includes specific residual depressive symptoms, e.g. sadness and anhedonia, lack of energy, psychomotor retardation and anxiety, as well as items reflecting subjective feelings of vulnerability, loss of internal reference points and increased emotionalism. Patients were instructed to compare the past 7 days with the period before the very first symptoms of the most recent depressive episode. Each item is scored as 0 to 3. A total score is the range from 0(none) to 75(most severe).

    Measured: Baseline

  2. Depression Residual Symptom Scale

    This consists of 25 items and includes specific residual depressive symptoms, e.g. sadness and anhedonia, lack of energy, psychomotor retardation and anxiety, as well as items reflecting subjective feelings of vulnerability, loss of internal reference points and increased emotionalism. Patients were instructed to compare the past 7 days with the period before the very first symptoms of the most recent depressive episode. Each item is scored as 0 to 3. A total score is the range from 0(none) to 75(most severe).

    Measured: 8 weeks

Secondary outcomes (6)
  1. Visual Analogue Scale

    This has been described as simple, highly sensitive, and reliable rating scales for subjective experiences. The VAS in this study is used for assessing of variation in severity of residual symptoms. The subject is asked to indicate his/her perceived symptom severity along a 100 mm horizontal line, and this rating is then measure from the left edge (0, no symptom) to right edge (100, most severe).

    Measured: Baseline

  2. Visual Analogue Scale

    This has been described as simple, highly sensitive, and reliable rating scales for subjective experiences. The VAS in this study is used for assessing of variation in severity of residual symptoms. The subject is asked to indicate his/her perceived symptom severity along a 100 mm horizontal line, and this rating is then measure from the left edge (0, no symptom) to right edge (100, most severe).

    Measured: 8 weeks

  3. Montgomery Asberg Depression Rating Scale

    This is a 10-item depression rating scale, widely used in depressed patients. Each item is rated from 0 to 6. A total score is the range from 0(none) to 60(most severe). The MADRS has been designed to measure severity of depression in clinical samples and be sensitive to change during antidepressant treatment.

    Measured: Baseline

  4. Montgomery Asberg Depression Rating Scale

    This is a 10-item depression rating scale, widely used in depressed patients. Each item is rated from 0 to 6. A total score is the range from 0(none) to 60(most severe). The MADRS has been designed to measure severity of depression in clinical samples and be sensitive to change during antidepressant treatment.

    Measured: 8 weeks

  5. Clinical Global Index

    This was developed for use in psychopharmacology trials and then, it has been expanded in its use as a standard primary measure in studies investigating the efficacy of pharmacological treatments for various psychiatric illnesses such as depression, anxiety disorder, and bipolar disorder. The CGI-S rates the severity of the patient's illness, on a 7-point scale ranging from 1(Normal) 1 to 7(Extremely ill), according to the clinician's experience of patients suffering from the same condition.

    Measured: Baseline

  6. Clinical Global Index

    This was developed for use in psychopharmacology trials and then, it has been expanded in its use as a standard primary measure in studies investigating the efficacy of pharmacological treatments for various psychiatric illnesses such as depression, anxiety disorder, and bipolar disorder. The CGI-S rates the severity of the patient's illness, on a 7-point scale ranging from 1(Normal) 1 to 7(Extremely ill), according to the clinician's experience of patients suffering from the same condition.

    Measured: 8 weeks

Timeline

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

  1. First posted21 Dec 2011 (estimated)
  2. Study startAug 2011
  3. Primary completionJul 2012
  4. Study completionDec 2012

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 N/A
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Not applicable
Intervention model
Single group
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
35 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT01496248
Sponsor's protocol ID
R1105721
Status last verified
Oct 2014
First submitted
18 Dec 2011
Last updated
10 Oct 2014
Data monitoring committee
No

Publications

  • Jeong HG, Ko YH, Oh SY, Han C, Kim T, Joe SH. Effect of Korean Red Ginseng as an adjuvant treatment for women with residual symptoms of major depression. Asia Pac Psychiatry. 2015 Sep;7(3):330-6. doi: 10.1111/appy.12169. Epub 2014 Dec 12.

    PubMed 25504813

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Korean Red Ginseng in people with Major Depressive Disorder, run by Korea University at 1 site in South Korea.

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 3 inclusion and 7 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 10 Oct 2014. 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 South Korea. 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.

Are results available for this study?

Yes. Results are posted in the registry (first posted 10 Oct 2014). A summary is in the For doctors view, and the full results are on ClinicalTrials.gov.

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?

Depression Residual Symptom Scale (time frame: Baseline). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT01496248, which also lists 1 linked publication.

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 10 Oct 2014.

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