Nicotinic Modulation of the Cognitive Control System in Late-Life Depression (R33 Phase)
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Summary
Deficits in cognitive control are core features of late-life depression (LLD), contributing both to emotion dysregulation and problems with inhibiting irrelevant information, conflict detection, and working memory. Clinically characterized as executive dysfunction, these deficits are associated with poor response to antidepressants and higher levels of disability. Improvement of cognitive control network (CCN) dysfunction may benefit both mood and cognitive performance, however no current pharmacotherapy improves Cognitive Control Network deficits in LLD. The study examines the hypothesis that nicotine acetylcholine receptor agonists enhance Cognitive Control Network function. This effect may resultantly improve mood and cognitive performance in LLD. Small, open-label studies of transdermal nicotine (TDN) patches have supported potential clinical benefit and provided support that transdermal nicotine administration engages the Cognitive Control Network. This blinded study will expand past open-label trials supporting potential benefit in LLD. It will examine TDN's effect on depression severity and cognitive control functions measured by neuropsychological testing. The study will evaluate 60 eligible and enrolled participants over a 3-year period.
Description
The purpose of the Depressed MIND3 study is to determine whether blinded, placebo-controlled administration of transdermal nicotine results in significant cognitive, clinical and functional improvement in participants with LLD. Neuronal nicotinic receptors have long been known to play a critical role in memory function in preclinical studies, with nicotine improving attention, learning, and memory function. This may be particularly relevant in LLD, which is characterized both by affective symptoms and broad cognitive deficits. The co-occurrence of cognitive deficits in LLD is a clinically rele…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 60+ years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- No
Inclusion Criteria: 1. Age ≥ 60 years; 2. diagnosis of major depressive disorder, single or recurrent episode (DSM5); 3. On a stable therapeutic dose of an allowed SSRI or SNRI for at least 6 weeks; 4. severity: at least mild active depression symptoms, defined as MADRS ≥ 15; 5. cognition: MMSE ≥ 24; 6. fluent in English Exclusion Criteria: 1. Other Axis I psychiatric disorders, except for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) or social phobia symptoms occurring in a depressive episode or diagnosis of an attentional disorder, such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD); 2. Use of o…
Interventions
- DrugTransdermal Nicotine Patch
Participants will wear nicotine transdermal patches daily for 12-15 weeks. They will apply a study patch each morning and remove at bedtime. Active dose will titrate up from 3.5mg to 7mg, and then can optionally be further titrated to a maximum dose of 14mg. After week12, the dose will be slowly tapered over 2-3 weeks.
- DrugTransdermal Placebo Patch
Participants will wear placebo transdermal patches daily for 12-15 weeks. They will apply a study patch each morning and remove at bedtime. Placebo patch dose will titrate up from 3.5mg to 7mg, and then can optionally be further titrated to a maximum dose of 14mg. After week12, the dose will be slowly tapered over 2-3 weeks.
Location
- Vanderbilt Psychiatric HosptialNashville, Tennessee