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Trial record 18 of 3064 for:    "Depression" [DISEASE]
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A Trial of SAMe for Treatment-Resistant Bipolar Depression

This study has been completed.
Sponsor:
Collaborator:
Stanley Medical Research Institute
Information provided by (Responsible Party):
Beth L. Murphy MD, PhD, Mclean Hospital
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
NCT00762268
First received: September 26, 2008
Last updated: April 20, 2012
Last verified: April 2012
History of Changes
  Purpose

S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAMe) is a dietary supplement with antidepressant properties. SAMe's mechanism of action remains unclear, but it appears to be distinct from that of conventional antidepressants. The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of these properties on the mood of bipolar subjects with persistent major depression that has been unresponsive to standard pharmacotherapy.


Condition Intervention
Bipolar Disorder
Depression
Bipolar Depression
 Drug: SAMe

Study Type: Interventional
Study Design: Allocation: Randomized
Endpoint Classification: Efficacy Study
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Double Blind (Subject, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)
Primary Purpose: Treatment
Official Title: Intermittent-Dose Oral SAMe (S-adenosyl-L-methionine) in Persistent and Treatment-Refractory Bipolar Depression: A Double-Blind Pilot Trial With an Optional Open-label Follow-up

Resource links provided by NLM:

U.S. FDA Resources

Further study details as provided by Mclean Hospital:

Primary Outcome Measures:
  • MADRS [ Time Frame: 6 weeks ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]

Secondary Outcome Measures:
  • HAM-D [ Time Frame: 6-weeks ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  • YMRS [ Time Frame: 6-weeks ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  • CGI [ Time Frame: 6-weeks ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]

Estimated Enrollment: 20
Study Start Date: September 2008
Study Completion Date: September 2011
Primary Completion Date: September 2011 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)
Arms Assigned Interventions
Experimental: SAMe Drug: SAMe
SAMe tablets will be administered intermittently and in steadily increasing dosages. Subjects will receive oral SAMe for only 3 days per week, followed by a 4 day "rest-period", before the next dosage increase. SAMe dosage will be progressively increased each week to a maximum of 1600 mg per day over a 4-week period.
Other Name: S-adenosyl-L-methionine
Placebo Comparator: placebo Drug: SAMe
SAMe tablets will be administered intermittently and in steadily increasing dosages. Subjects will receive oral SAMe for only 3 days per week, followed by a 4 day "rest-period", before the next dosage increase. SAMe dosage will be progressively increased each week to a maximum of 1600 mg per day over a 4-week period.
Other Name: S-adenosyl-L-methionine

Detailed Description:

Depression in bipolar disorder is a significant source of disease-related debility; with bipolar individuals typically spending three fold as much time depressed as manic or hypomanic. Clinicians treating bipolar disorder often struggle to provide relief from depressive symptoms that are more often treatment resistant than in unipolar depression. To complicate matters further, the risk/benefit ratio of currently available antidepressants is a source of debate within the field of psychiatry.

S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAMe) is a dietary supplement with well-established antidepressant properties. SAMe's mechanism of action remains unclear, but it appears to be distinct from that of conventional antidepressants. The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of these properties on the mood of bipolar subjects with persistent major depression that has been unresponsive to standard pharmacotherapy.

An unusual aspect of the current study design is the schedule of SAMe dosing. SAMe tablets will be administered intermittently and in steadily increasing dosages. The purpose of this gradual and intermittent dosage titration is to lessen the risk of antidepressant-induced mania by seeking the minimum effective oral dose of SAMe.

  Eligibility

Ages Eligible for Study:   18 Years to 65 Years
Genders Eligible for Study:   Both
Accepts Healthy Volunteers:   No
Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

  • bipolar disorder
  • depressed for 3-12 months
  • mood unresponsive to at least 2 treatments
  • currently on mood stabilizer at therapeutic doses

Exclusion Criteria:

  • history of mania while on adequate mood stabilizer
  • rapid cycling bipolar disorder
  • previous use of SAMe during current episode
  • unstable medical illness including parkinson's disease
  • methotrexate use
  • pregnancy
  • substance abuse/dependence
  Contacts and Locations
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00762268

Locations
United States, Massachusetts
McLean Hospital
Belmont, Massachusetts, United States, 02478
Sponsors and Collaborators
Mclean Hospital
Stanley Medical Research Institute
Investigators
Principal Investigator: Beth L Murphy, MD, PhD Mclean Hospital
  More Information

Additional Information:
link to hospital web site with clinical trials information  This link exits the ClinicalTrials.gov site

No publications provided

Responsible Party: Beth L. Murphy MD, PhD, Principal Investigator, Mclean Hospital
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00762268     History of Changes
Other Study ID Numbers: 2008-P-000276
Study First Received: September 26, 2008
Last Updated: April 20, 2012
Health Authority: United States: Food and Drug Administration

Keywords provided by Mclean Hospital:
SAMe
alternative treatments
bipolar disorder
 depression
bipolar depression
treatment-resistant depression

Additional relevant MeSH terms:
Bipolar Disorder
Depression
Depressive Disorder
Affective Disorders, Psychotic
 Mood Disorders
Mental Disorders
Behavioral Symptoms

ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on May 19, 2013