Thyroid Medication and Antidepressants for Treating Major Depression

• Status: Completed
• Trial end date: 2003-07-01
• Target enrollment: 0
• Participant gender: All

Summary

This study will evaluate the effectiveness of treatment with supplemental triiodothyronine (T3, Cytomel) and sertraline (Zoloft), a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), in improving symptoms of major depressive disorder (MDD).

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

Details

• Lead Sponsor: Emory University
• Collaborator: National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
• Treatments: Sertraline

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

• Male or female between the ages of 18 and 60. (The upper age is limited to 60 because thyroid changes, including blunting of the TSH response to TRH occurs with age and can potentially confound the relationship between the HPT axis and MDD.)

• Primary diagnosis of unipolar Major Depressive Disorder

• HAM-D (21 item) score >18

Exclusion Criteria:

• Alcohol abuse or alcohol dependence within the past year.

• Psychoactive substance abuse or dependence within the past year.

• Clinical evidence of severe Personality Disorder that would make study participation and completion unlikely.

• ECT within the past 6 months.

• Grade I hypothyroidism defined as low thyroid hormone levels with an associated elevated TSH; hyperthyroidism defined as elevated thyroid hormone concentrations with a low TSH.

• Serious and unstable medical illnesses.