Longitudinal Study on the Neuroprotective and Neurotrophic Effects of Lithium

Sponsor
University of Sao Paulo (Other)
Overall Status
Completed
CT.gov ID
NCT01919892
Collaborator
(none)
30
1
1
26
1.2

Study Details

Study Description

Brief Summary

Thirty subjects with a DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, fourth version)diagnosis of BPD during a depressive or hypomanic episode will be divided in two groups according to age and time of illness. All patients will receive lithium (flexible therapeutic dose) for 6 weeks and improvement will be evaluated weekly using depression and mania rating scales; this study also objectives to identify state/trait markers and predictors of response.

Condition or Disease Intervention/Treatment Phase
Phase 4

Detailed Description

Mood disorders are the most prevalent psychiatric, presenting chronic course and high morbidity, affecting 10-15% of population. Diverse structural, functional and biochemical cerebral changes described in the pathophysiology of mood disorders, in special Bipolar Disorder (BPD), have been associated with impairments in neuroprotective mechanisms and cellular resilience. However, the clinical relevance of these pathophysiological findings have been rarely addressed. Meanwhile, lithium has been considered the most used mood stabilizer worldwide, showing significant efficacy in the treatment of manic and depressive episodes, as well as in the prevention of suicide and maintenance. Several studies have demonstrated significant neuroprotective and neurotrophic effects induced by lithium treatment in diverse cellular and molecular targets, but again, few is known about the potential association between these cerebral effects and the its therapeutic clinical efficacy induced by this proof of concept agent. The present project aims to investigate brain levels of lithium using magnetic resonance spectroscopy (7Li-MRS) and its association with different markers of neuronal viability such as n-acetyl-aspartate (using 1-hydrogen-MRS), as well as peripheral markers of mitochondrial, endoplasmic reticulum and neurotrophic factors activity, all highly implicated in the pathophysiology of BD. The investigator has been working in this area in the last ten years, in which the last three and a half in the Lab of Molecular Pathophysiology and Experimental Therapeutics, National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), National Institutes of Health. The candidate is looking forward to establish appropriate structure to develop a "Research Center for the Study of Neuroplasticity and Neuroprotection in Psychiatric Disorders" in the Institute of Psychiatry, University of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Overall, the study on the neuroplasticity-mediated pathophysiological basis of BPD implicated in the clinical presentation and outcome may shed light on the development of new, improved therapeutics for this and other devastating psychiatric disorders.

Study Design

Study Type:
Interventional
Actual Enrollment :
30 participants
Allocation:
N/A
Intervention Model:
Single Group Assignment
Masking:
None (Open Label)
Primary Purpose:
Treatment
Official Title:
Longitudinal Study on the Neuroprotective and Neurotrophic Effects of Lithium in Bipolar Disorder: Identification of Cellular and Molecular Targets Clinically Relevant
Study Start Date :
Sep 1, 2010
Actual Primary Completion Date :
Nov 1, 2012
Actual Study Completion Date :
Nov 1, 2012

Arms and Interventions

Arm Intervention/Treatment
Experimental: Lithium 450-900mg/day

An Open-Label, 6-week Pilot Study of Flexible Dose of Lithium in Bipolar Depression: The Effectiveness of Lower Lithium Levels

Drug: Lithium

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

  1. Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D) [6 week]

Secondary Outcome Measures

  1. Montgomery Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) [6 week]

Other Outcome Measures

  1. Young Mania Rating Scale [6 week]

    Evaluation of potential switch process to mania in Bipolar Disorder

Eligibility Criteria

Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study:
18 Years to 45 Years
Sexes Eligible for Study:
All
Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
No
Inclusion Criteria:
  • outpatients

  • 18-45 yo

  • DSM-IV diagnosis of bipolar disorder (BD-I or BD-II)

  • current depressive episode based on the Structured Clinical Interview for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders(SCID-I)

  • Hamilton Depression Rating Scale Score (HAM-D) ≥18

Exclusion Criteria

  • Medical and psychiatric Comorbidity

  • more than 5 years of disease duration

  • presence of rapid cycling

Contacts and Locations

Locations

Site City State Country Postal Code
1 Institute of Psychiatry, University of Sao Paullo Sao Paulo SP Brazil 05410-000

Sponsors and Collaborators

  • University of Sao Paulo

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Rodrigo Machado-Vieira, MD, PhD, Institute and Department of Psychiatry, University of Sao Paulo, Brazil

Study Documents (Full-Text)

None provided.

More Information

Publications

None provided.
Responsible Party:
Rodrigo Machado Vieira, Professor, University of Sao Paulo
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
NCT01919892
Other Study ID Numbers:
  • Lithium001
  • 09/14891-9
First Posted:
Aug 9, 2013
Last Update Posted:
Aug 9, 2013
Last Verified:
Aug 1, 2013
Keywords provided by Rodrigo Machado Vieira, Professor, University of Sao Paulo
Additional relevant MeSH terms:

Study Results

No Results Posted as of Aug 9, 2013