NMDA Modulation in Major Depressive Disorder in Late- Life
Status:
Completed
Trial end date:
2020-11-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a complex and multi-factorial disorder. Most of the
current antidepressants are based upon the monoamine hypothesis which cannot fully explain
the etiology of depression. Many elderly patients have significant side effects after
treatment with antidepressants which hamper the motivation for treatment and medication
adherence. NMDA hypofunction has been implicated in the pathophysiology of depression. MDD in
the elderly is often associated with cognitive deficits which are not necessarily recovered
by current antidepressants. The NMDA receptor regulates synaptic plasticity, memory, and
cognition. In our previous studies, cognitive improvement has been observed with treatment of
NMDA enhancers. Therefore, this study will examine the efficacy and safety as well as
cognitive function improvement of NMDAE in the treatment of MDD in the elderly by comparing
with sertraline (a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor [SSRI]) and placebo.
The investigator will enroll elderly patients with MDD for an 8-week treatment. All patients
will be randomly assigned into three groups: NMDAE, sertraline, or placebo. The investigator
will biweekly measure clinical performances. Cognitive functions will be assessed at baseline
and at endpoint of treatment by a battery of tests. The investigator hypothesize that NMDAE
can safely yield better efficacy than placebo and sertraline for elderly patients with MDD.