Neural, Genetic, and Peripheral Correlates of SSRI Pharmaco-Response

Summary

The aim of this pharmaco-MRI study is to investigate neural correlates of variable antidepressant treatment response driven by genetic variation in multiple genes involved in depression. Thirty Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) patients with a concurrent major depressive episode will undergo three MRI scanning sessions after escitalopram treatment initiation. Furthermore, extensive behavioral assessments and measures of potential peripheral markers such lymphocyte mRNA or pharmacological parameters on platelets or lymphocytes will be performed. Imaging measures have been suggested to be superior for drug response assessment as compared to psychometric scales, which hardly correlate with biological parameters. Since imaging techniques are too expensive and sophisticated for a broad clinical use, this study will provide pilot data on potential peripheral biomarkers of neural activation being related to drug response.

Timeline

Start

2011-08

Primary completion

2014-07

Completion

2015-03

Publications

• Background Scharinger C, Rabl U, Sitte HH, Pezawas L. Imaging genetics of mood disorders. Neuroimage. 2010 Nov 15;53(3):810-21. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2010.02.019. Epub 2010 Feb 13.
• Background Pezawas L, Meyer-Lindenberg A. Imaging genetics: Progressing by leaps and bounds. Neuroimage. 2010 Nov 15;53(3):801-3. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2010.08.001. No abstract available.
• Background Rabl U, Scharinger C, Muller M, Pezawas L. Imaging genetics: implications for research on variable antidepressant drug response. Expert Rev Clin Pharmacol. 2010 Jul;3(4):471-89. doi: 10.1586/ecp.10.35.

Drugs

Indications