LEPR Polymorphism Weight Gain by Mirtazapine in Late Life Depression

• Status: Completed
• Trial end date: 2015-12-01
• Target enrollment: 0
• Participant gender: All

Summary

Patients with an episode of depression in late life prescribed mirtazapine recruited from a clinical sample will be monitored for weight and receive a blood test during their usual course of treatment to determine polymorphisms in a specific gene (LEPR) thought to affect weight gain.

• Phase: Phase 4
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers?: No

Details

• Lead Sponsor: Lawson Health Research Institute
• Treatments: Mianserin; Mirtazapine

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

• patients older than 50 years

• meeting criteria for a diagnosis of major depressive disorder (DSM IV code 296.2x or 296.3x) as confirmed by a score > 20 on the HAM-D 24 items scale and a structured clinical interview using the SCID by a consultant psychiatrist

Exclusion Criteria:

• Treatment resistant depression (as defined by failure to respond to ≥2 adequate antidepressant trials)

• Major depressive disorder with psychosis (296.x4)

• Those with depression who fulfill the chronic specifier (MDE for >2 years)

• Significant Axis II pathology

• Previous trial with mirtazapine

• Concurrent antipsychotic usage

• Comorbid dementia (as confirmed by MMSE < 24)

• Substance misuse including drug and/or alcohol dependence/abuse in the past 3 months

• Bipolar disorder

• Schizophrenia

• Obsessive compulsive disorder

• Post traumatic stress disorder

• Eating disorder

• Head injury

• Recent stroke (< 3 months)

• Recent MI (< 3 months)

• Currently actively participating in structured/formal psychotherapy

• Being non ambulatory

• Those actively suicidal

• Those incapable of informed consent