Creatine Augmentation for Adolescent Females With Treatment-Resistant Major Depressive Disorder

Completed · Phase 4 · Has a placebo group

Conditions studied: Major Depressive Disorder

In brief

The primary hypothesis is that compared to placebo, 10g of daily creatine monohydrate for eight weeks will be associated with significant increases in frontal lobe phosphocreatine and beta-nucleoside triphosphate (β-NTP) concentrations. A secondary hypothesis is that decreased depressive symptoms measured with the Children's Depression Rating Scale-Revised (CDRS-R) and Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) will be reciprocally correlated with increased β-NTP concentrations.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT02134808

Run by

Perry Renshaw

People needed

71

Starts

2014-11-21

Expected to finish

2017-06-27

Last updated by the study team

2024-07-03

Who can join

Age: 12 and older, up to 21. Sex: female. Healthy volunteers: accepted.

You may qualify if…

• Participants must be female.
• Participants must be able to grant informed consent (age >18), or parent/guardian permission plus participant assent (age <18).
• Participants must meet DSM criteria for Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), with current mood state depressed for > 2 weeks.
• Participants must be between the ages of 12 and 21.
• Current CDRS-R raw score of > 40 or MADRS score > 25; and CGI-S score > 3.
• Participants may be enrolled in individual and/or group psychotherapy, if it has been ongoing for at least 8 weeks.
• Participants must have been in treatment with an SSRI for at least 8 weeks, the last 4 of which were at a dosage of > 20 mg per day of fluoxetine or its equivalent, e.g. 20 mg per day of paroxetine, 20 mg citalopram, 10 mg escitalopram, or 100 mg sertraline. If the participant attempted, but could not tolerate, a dose comparable to 20 mg fluoxetine, they will be considered eligible. (This definition of "Adolescent SSRI Resistant Depression" is modified from the NIH-sponsored, $17 million TORDIA Randomized Controlled Trial [http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00018902].

You may not qualify if…

• Unstable co-morbid medical, neurological, or psychiatric disorder.
• Current DSM criteria for substance abuse or dependence (excepting nicotine/cigarettes).
• Clinically significant suicidal or homicidal risk.
• Pre-existing renal disease.
• Proteinuria on baseline urinalysis testing.
• Pregnancy or breastfeeding.
• Sexually active and unwilling to practice contraception during the study.
• Contraindication to magnetic resonance imaging (e.g. ferromagnetic implant or claustrophobic anxiety).
• History of hypersensitivity to creatine.
• History of a previous failed therapeutic trial of creatine.
• Participants may be outpatients or inpatients, but incarcerated persons will be excluded because this study is not approved for "Research Involving Prisoners."
• Study Withdrawal Criteria:
• Withdrawal of parental permission, participant informed consent or participant assent.
• Onset of a psychotic disorder or bipolar disorder.
• Intolerable, or clinically-significant side effects to creatine.
• Worsening depression, as demonstrated by an increase in CDRS-R or MADRS score > 25% from baseline.
• Positive pregnancy test.
• A significant change to the participant's medication or psychotherapy treatment from the regimen reported at their baseline/screening visit (e.g. if the SSRI is discontinued).
• Incarceration, as the study is not approved to conduct "Research Involving Prisoners."
• If a clinically-significant intracranial lesion is found by the Radiologist on a participant's baseline brain scan, they will be withdrawn from the study and referred for appropriate medical care.
• The principal investigator retains the right to withdraw participants from the study without their permission, in the event they are unwilling or unable to maintain adherence with the research protocol.
• HEALTHY COMPARISON SUBJECTS
• Inclusion Criteria:
• Participants must be able to grant informed consent (age > 18), or parent/guardian permission plus participant assent (age < 18).
• Participants must be female.

Where it is running

• University of Utah School of Medicine — Salt Lake City, Utah, United States

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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