Incomplete Response in Late Life Depression: Getting to Remission (IRL GREY)

Summary

The primary aims of this study are to: 1. Assess the efficacy of aripiprazole augmentation for the acute and continuation treatment of TRLLD. Hypothesis 1: Patients with TRLLD (defined as those who do not remit after 12 weeks of acute treatment with venlafaxine XR) will have a higher rate of remission with aripiprazole than with placebo augmentation (primary outcome) and greater improvement in depressive symptoms and stability of remission (secondary outcomes). 2. Assess the tolerability of aripiprazole in TRLLD with a focus on adiposity and akathisia/restlessness. Hypothesis 2: Aripiprazole will be associated with a higher rate of clinically significant akathisia and increased adiposity than placebo. The Secondary/exploratory aims of this study are to: 1. Examine anxiety, medical burden, and executive impairment as moderators of aripiprazole augmentation efficacy in TRLLD. Hypothesis 3: Pre-levels of anxiety symptoms, medical burden, and executive impairment will be treatment-specific factors: they will moderate the efficacy of aripiprazole augmentation. The aripiprazole-placebo difference will be greater in individuals with these variables, compared to those without these variables because these three factors will be associated with a decreased likelihood that "staying the course" with venlafaxine monotherapy will achieve remission. 2. Examine genetic predictors (phase 1) and moderators (phase 2-3) of treatment outcomes, while controlling for drug exposure. Hypothesis 4: Selected polymorphisms will reduce remission rate with venlafaxine and will reduce efficacy and tolerability with aripiprazole.

Timeline

Start

2009-08

Primary completion

2014-09

Completion

2014-09

Publications

• Results Lenze EJ, Mulsant BH, Blumberger DM, Karp JF, Newcomer JW, Anderson SJ, Dew MA, Butters MA, Stack JA, Begley AE, Reynolds CF 3rd. Efficacy, safety, and tolerability of augmentation pharmacotherapy with aripiprazole for treatment-resistant depression in late life: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Lancet. 2015 Dec 12;386(10011):2404-12. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(15)00308-6. Epub 2015 Sep 27.
• Olgiati P, Fanelli G, Serretti A. Age or age of onset: which is the best criterion to classify late-life depression? Int Clin Psychopharmacol. 2023 Jul 1;38(4):223-230. doi: 10.1097/YIC.0000000000000472. Epub 2023 Mar 21.
• Ainsworth NJ, Brender R, Gotlieb N, Zhao H, Blumberger DM, Karp JF, Lenze EJ, Nicol GE, Reynolds CF, Wang W, Mulsant BH. Association between lean muscle mass and treatment-resistant late-life depression in the IRL-GRey randomized controlled trial. Int Psychogeriatr. 2023 Dec;35(12):707-716. doi: 10.1017/S1041610222000862. Epub 2023 Jan 3.
• Diniz BS, Mulsant BH, Reynolds CF 3rd, Blumberger DM, Karp JF, Butters MA, Mendes-Silva AP, Vieira EL, Tseng G, Lenze EJ. Association of Molecular Senescence Markers in Late-Life Depression With Clinical Characteristics and Treatment Outcome. JAMA Netw Open. 2022 Jun 1;5(6):e2219678. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.19678.
• Altmann H, Stahl ST, Gebara MA, Lenze EJ, Mulsant BH, Blumberger DM, Reynolds CF 3rd, Karp JF. Coprescribed Benzodiazepines in Older Adults Receiving Antidepressants for Anxiety and Depressive Disorders: Association With Treatment Outcomes. J Clin Psychiatry. 2020 Sep 29;81(6):20m13283. doi: 10.4088/JCP.20m13283.
• Buchalter ELF, Oughli HA, Lenze EJ, Dixon D, Miller JP, Blumberger DM, Karp JF, Reynolds CF 3rd, Mulsant BH. Predicting Remission in Late-Life Major Depression: A Clinical Algorithm Based Upon Past Treatment History. J Clin Psychiatry. 2019 Dec 10;80(6):18m12483. doi: 10.4088/JCP.18m12483.
• Wei W, Karim HT, Lin C, Mizuno A, Andreescu C, Karp JF, Reynolds CF 3rd, Aizenstein HJ. Trajectories in Cerebral Blood Flow Following Antidepressant Treatment in Late-Life Depression: Support for the Vascular Depression Hypothesis. J Clin Psychiatry. 2018 Oct 23;79(6):18m12106. doi: 10.4088/JCP.18m12106.
• Hsu JH, Mulsant BH, Lenze EJ, Sanches M, Karp JF, Reynolds CF, Blumberger DM. Clinical Predictors of Extrapyramidal Symptoms Associated With Aripiprazole Augmentation for the Treatment of Late-Life Depression in a Randomized Controlled Trial. J Clin Psychiatry. 2018 Jun 19;79(4):17m11764. doi: 10.4088/JCP.17m11764.
• Cristancho P, Lenze EJ, Dixon D, Miller JP, Mulsant BH, Reynolds CF 3rd, Butters MA. Executive Function Predicts Antidepressant Treatment Noncompletion in Late-Life Depression. J Clin Psychiatry. 2018 May/Jun;79(3):16m11371. doi: 10.4088/JCP.16m11371.
• Marshe VS, Maciukiewicz M, Rej S, Tiwari AK, Sibille E, Blumberger DM, Karp JF, Lenze EJ, Reynolds CF 3rd, Kennedy JL, Mulsant BH, Muller DJ. Norepinephrine Transporter Gene Variants and Remission From Depression With Venlafaxine Treatment in Older Adults. Am J Psychiatry. 2017 May 1;174(5):468-475. doi: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2016.16050617. Epub 2017 Jan 10.
• Smagula SF, Karim HT, Lenze EJ, Butters MA, Wu GF, Mulsant BH, Reynolds CF, Aizenstein HJ. Gray matter regions statistically mediating the cross-sectional association of eotaxin and set-shifting among older adults with major depressive disorder. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2017 Dec;32(12):1226-1232. doi: 10.1002/gps.4585. Epub 2016 Sep 19.
• Smagula SF, Lotrich FE, Aizenstein HJ, Diniz BS, Krystek J, Wu GF, Mulsant BH, Butters MA, Reynolds CF 3rd, Lenze EJ. Immunological biomarkers associated with brain structure and executive function in late-life depression: exploratory pilot study. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2017 Jun;32(6):692-699. doi: 10.1002/gps.4512. Epub 2016 Jun 10.
• Kaneriya SH, Robbins-Welty GA, Smagula SF, Karp JF, Butters MA, Lenze EJ, Mulsant BH, Blumberger D, Anderson SJ, Dew MA, Lotrich F, Aizenstein HJ, Diniz BS, Reynolds CF 3rd. Predictors and Moderators of Remission With Aripiprazole Augmentation in Treatment-Resistant Late-Life Depression: An Analysis of the IRL-GRey Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Psychiatry. 2016 Apr;73(4):329-36. doi: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2015.3447.
• Kasckow J, Youk A, Anderson SJ, Dew MA, Butters MA, Marron MM, Begley AE, Szanto K, Dombrovski AY, Mulsant BH, Lenze EJ, Reynolds CF 3rd. Trajectories of suicidal ideation in depressed older adults undergoing antidepressant treatment. J Psychiatr Res. 2016 Feb;73:96-101. doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2015.11.004. Epub 2015 Nov 19.
• Smagula SF, Butters MA, Anderson SJ, Lenze EJ, Dew MA, Mulsant BH, Lotrich FE, Aizenstein H, Reynolds CF 3rd. Antidepressant Response Trajectories and Associated Clinical Prognostic Factors Among Older Adults. JAMA Psychiatry. 2015 Oct;72(10):1021-8. doi: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2015.1324.
• Hall CA, Simon KM, Lenze EJ, Dew MA, Begley A, Butters MA, Blumberger DM, Stack JA, Mulsant B, Reynolds CF 3rd. Depression Remission Rates Among Older Black and White Adults: Analyses From the IRL-GREY Trial. Psychiatr Serv. 2015 Dec 1;66(12):1303-11. doi: 10.1176/appi.ps.201400480. Epub 2015 Aug 17.
• Joel I, Begley AE, Mulsant BH, Lenze EJ, Mazumdar S, Dew MA, Blumberger D, Butters M, Reynolds CF 3rd; IRL GREY Investigative Team. Dynamic prediction of treatment response in late-life depression. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2014 Feb;22(2):167-76. doi: 10.1016/j.jagp.2012.07.002. Epub 2013 Feb 6.

Drugs

Indications