Effectiveness of a quantitative electroencephalographic biomarker for predicting differential response or remission with escitalopram and bupropion in major depressive disorder.

We examined the Antidepressant Treatment Response (ATR) index as a predictor of differential response and remission to escitalopram, bupropion, or a combination of the two medications, in subjects with major depressive disorder (MDD). Three hundred seventy-five subjects had a baseline quantitative electroencephalographic (QEEG) study preceding 1 week of treatment with escitalopram, 10 mg, after which a second QEEG was performed and the ATR index was calculated. Subjects then were randomized to continue escitalopram, switch to bupropion, or receive a combination of the two. Clinical response was assessed using the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale at 49 days of treatment. Accuracy of ATR in predicting response and remission was calculated. There were no significant differences between response and remission rates in the three treatment groups. A single ATR threshold was useful for predicting differential response to either escitalopram or bupropion monotherapy. Subjects with ATR values above the threshold were more than 2.4 times as likely to respond to escitalopram as those with low ATR values (68% vs. 28%). Subjects with ATR values below the threshold who were switched to bupropion treatment were 1.9 times as likely to respond to bupropion alone as those who remained on escitalopram treatment (53% vs. 28%). The ATR index did not provide a useful prediction of response to combination treatment. The ATR index may prove useful in predicting responsiveness to different antidepressant medications.

Comparative effectiveness of biomarkers and clinical indicators for predicting outcomes of SSRI treatment in Major Depressive Disorder: results of the BRITE-MD study.

Patients with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) may not respond to antidepressants for 8 weeks or longer. A biomarker that predicted treatment effectiveness after only 1 week could be clinically useful. We examined a frontal quantitative electroencephalographic (QEEG) biomarker, the Antidepressant Treatment Response (ATR) index, as a predictor of response to escitalopram, and compared ATR with other putative predictors. Three hundred seventy-five subjects meeting DSM-IV criteria for MDD had a baseline QEEG study. After 1 week of treatment with escitalopram, 10 mg, a second QEEG was performed, and the ATR was calculated. Subjects then were randomly assigned to continue with escitalopram, 10 mg, or change to alternative treatments. Seventy-three evaluable subjects received escitalopram for a total of 49days. Response and remission rates were 52.1% and 38.4%, respectively. The ATR predicted both response and remission with 74% accuracy. Neither serum drug levels nor 5HTTLPR and 5HT2a genetic polymorphisms were significant predictors. Responders had larger decreases in Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (Ham-D(17)) scores at day 7 (P=0.005), but remitters did not. Clinician prediction based upon global impression of improvement at day 7 did not predict outcome. Logistic regression showed that the ATR and early Ham-D(17) changes were additive predictors of response, but the ATR was the only significant predictor of remission. Future studies should replicate these results prior to clinical use.

Efficacy and Safety of Low-field Synchronized Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (sTMS) for Treatment of Major Depression.

BACKGROUND: Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) customarily uses high-field electromagnets to achieve therapeutic efficacy in Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). Low-field magnetic stimulation also may be useful for treatment of MDD, with fewer treatment-emergent adverse events. OBJECTIVE/HYPOTHESIS: To examine efficacy, safety, and tolerability of low-field magnetic stimulation synchronized to an individual's alpha frequency (IAF) (synchronized TMS, or sTMS) for treatment of MDD. METHODS: Six-week double-blind sham-controlled treatment trial of a novel device that used three rotating neodymium magnets to deliver sTMS treatment. IAF was determined from a single-channel EEG prior to first treatment. Subjects had baseline 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HamD17) ≥ 17. RESULTS: 202 subjects comprised the intent-to-treat (ITT) sample, and 120 subjects completed treatment per-protocol (PP). There was no difference in efficacy between active and sham in the ITT sample. Subjects in the PP sample (N = 59), however, had significantly greater mean decrease in HamD17 than sham (N = 60) (-9.00 vs. -6.56, P = 0.033). PP subjects with a history of poor response or intolerance to medication showed greater improvement with sTMS than did treatment-naïve subjects (-8.58 vs. -4.25, P = 0.017). Efficacy in the PP sample reflects exclusion of subjects who received fewer than 80% of scheduled treatments or were inadvertently treated at the incorrect IAF; these subgroups failed to separate from sham. There was no difference in adverse events between sTMS and sham, and no serious adverse events attributable to sTMS. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that sTMS may be effective, safe, and well tolerated for treating MDD when administered as intended.

Quantitative electroencephalogram biomarkers for predicting likelihood and speed of achieving sustained remission in major depression: a report from the biomarkers for rapid identification of treatment effectiveness in major depression (BRITE-MD) trial.

OBJECTIVE: Clinical trials in major depressive disorder (MDD) commonly assess remission at a single endpoint. Complementary, clinically relevant metrics include the likelihood and speed of achieving sustained remission. A neurophysiologic measure, the Antidepressant Treatment Response (ATR) index, previously predicted 8-week outcomes of pharmacotherapy. We retrospectively examined data from the Biomarkers for Rapid Identification of Treatment Effectiveness in Major Depression (BRITE-MD) trial to evaluate this biomarker's properties in predicting sustained remission and time to achieve sustained remission. METHOD: In the BRITE-MD trial, 67 adults with DSM-IV MDD received escitalopram continuously for 13 weeks. The 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS17) was used to define sustained remission as achieving remission (HDRS17 score ≤ 7) at a series of consecutive assessments, including week 13. The onset of sustained remission was defined as the earliest time from which all subsequent HDRS17 assessments were ≤ 7. The ATR was evaluated by using frontal quantitative electroencephalogram recordings at baseline and week 1. Subjects were stratified based on ATR status (ie, ATR+/ATR-). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis evaluated group differences in time to sustained remission. Higher ATR was hypothesized to predict sustained remission and time to sustained remission. Subjects participated between January 2006 and July 2007. RESULTS: Of 67 subjects, 36 achieved remission by week 13, and ATR predicted this single endpoint in receiver operating characteristic analyses (P = .016; sensitivity, 52.8%; positive predictive value, 76.0%). Remitters had a higher mean (SD) ATR value than those who did not remit (57.9 [10.0] vs 51.9 [8.7], P = .012). Sixteen of the 31 individuals with sustained remission had ATR+ status, while 28 of the 36 who were not sustained remitters had ATR- status (P = .012). The mean time to reach sustained remission was significantly shorter among ATR+ subjects than ATR- individuals (38 vs 53 days, P = .038). CONCLUSIONS: The ATR index predicted remission at 13 weeks as well as the speed of achieving sustained remission with antidepressant monotherapy. This finding suggests that the ATR biomarker may predict stable longer-term outcomes. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00289523.

Tardive dyskinesia in 2 patients treated with ziprasidone.

Ziprasidone is an atypical antipsychotic drug that is believed to have a low propensity for inducing extrapyramidal symptoms, including tardive dyskinesia (TD). Two of our patients developed TD after 23 months and 34 months of ziprasidone monotherapy, respectively. One of the patients had had earlier exposure to typical antipsychotic drugs, but no other predisposing factors for TD were noted. Therefore, patients on long-term therapy with atypical antipsychotic drugs should be screened periodically for TD.