Identification of fMRI predictors of response to SSRI in depression
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Improving the prediction of response to Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor antidepressants in Major Depressive Disorder using model-based functional magnetic resonance imaging.
IRAS ID
200313
Contact name
Filippo Queirazza
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Summary of Research
Can we predict response to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants in depression using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)?
The mainstay of depression treatment is antidepressant medications, in particular SSRIs. Unfortunately only half of depressed patients respond to antidepressants. To make things worse, there are no reliable clinical tests that can tell us in advance whether a patient will benefit from a particular antidepressant. As a result, in day-to-day clinical practice psychiatrists still rely on a trial-and-error approach to treatment selection with patients being often exposed to multiple trials of ineffective antidepressants.
fMRI is an imaging technique that tracks brain activity based on temporal changes in blood supply to the brain. Previous studies have used fMRI to look at differences in pre-treatment brain activity between depressed patients who respond to antidepressants and those who do not. Unfortunately, prediction of treatment response at an individual level using these between-group differences in brain activity results in high classification error.
In this study we plan to analyse fMRI data using classification techniques that significantly improve the ability to identify fMRI predictors of treatment response at an individual level.
We aim to recruit subjects who live in Scotland, are suffering from depression and are suitable candidates for SSRI treatment.
All appointments and scans will take place at the Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging at the University of Glasgow. A qualified psychiatrist will conduct a psychiatric assessment of the potential participant to confirm the diagnosis of depression and will liaise with their general practitioner (GP) to recommend initiation of SSRI treatment. During the same appointment participants will undergo a 1-hour long fMRI scan to record pre-treatment brain activity so that scanning will not delay initiation of treatment. Participants will be asked to attend a second appointment only for clinical evaluation 1-month after initiating treatment.Summary of Results
Unfortunately we only recruited 7 subjects into the study and this precludes any scientifically meaningful analysis of the data although we hope to use the data as pilot data for future research projects.REC name
East of Scotland Research Ethics Service REC 1
REC reference
16/ES/0040
Date of REC Opinion
24 Mar 2016
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion