scholarly journals A case of treatment-resistant depression in an older adult and a discussion of treatment options

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Emma Pope ◽  
Sabari Muthukrishnan ◽  
James Phillips ◽  
Sarah Phillips
Keyword(s):  
Personal Experience ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
Poor Response ◽  
Current Evidence ◽  
Treatment Resistant Depression ◽  
Treatment Resistant ◽  
Geriatric Population ◽  
Treatment Of Depression ◽  
Resistant Depression ◽  
Careful Assessment

Treatment-resistant depression is a complex condition often requiring specialist psychiatric care. Many different psychiatric, physical and social factors can lead to a poor response to initial treatment of depression, and a careful assessment is required to determine the most appropriate management option. This can be particularly complex in the older population, who often have multiple physical and social comorbidities. We have used a fictional case to illustrate this, alongside an anonymised vignette of someone with personal experience of this condition. We have also provided an overview of the current evidence for treatment options, as well as a discussion of potential aetiological factors. By the end of this article, readers should understand the ambiguity of this diagnostic term, the aetiological factors that need to be assessed and the rationale for the treatment options available. They should be able to recognise how these ideas apply to the geriatric population.

scholarly journals Role of the Pharmacist in Managing Treatment-Resistant Depression: A Focus on Ketamine

Pharmacy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 118
Author(s):  
Linda Xing Yu Liu ◽  
Marina Golts ◽  
Virginia Fernandes
Keyword(s):  
Current Practice ◽  
Quality Care ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Transitions Of Care ◽  
Treatment Resistant Depression ◽  
Treatment Resistant ◽  
Resistant Depression ◽  
Multiple Treatments ◽  
The Impact

The impact of depression is well described in the literature, and it is most prominent in patients who have trialed multiple treatments. Treatment-resistant depression (TRD) is particularly debilitating, and it is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Despite this, there seems to be therapeutic inertia in adopting novel therapies in current practice. Ketamine is an N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist and anesthetic agent which has recently been shown to be effective in the management of TRD when administered intravenously or intranasally. The treatments, however, are not easily accessible due to restrictions in prescribing and dispensing, high costs, and the slow uptake of evidence-based practice involving ketamine within the Canadian healthcare system. Given the limited treatment options for TRD, novel approaches should be considered and adopted into practice, and facilitated by a multi-disciplinary approach. Pharmacists play a critical role in ensuring access to quality care. This includes dissemination of evidence supporting pharmacological treatments and facilitating translation into current practice. Pharmacists are uniquely positioned to collaborate with prescribers and assess novel treatment options, such as ketamine, address modifiable barriers to treatment, and triage access to medications during transitions of care. Extending the reach of these novel psychiatric treatments in both tertiary and primary care settings creates an emerging role for pharmacists in the collaborative effort to better manage treatment-resistant depression.

scholarly journals Pharmacological Treatments for Patients with Treatment-Resistant Depression

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 116 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valerie L. Ruberto ◽  
Manish K. Jha ◽  
James W. Murrough
Keyword(s):  
Treatment Options ◽  
Symptom Relief ◽  
Antidepressant Medication ◽  
Treatment Resistant Depression ◽  
Treatment Resistant ◽  
Qualitative Synthesis ◽  
Course Of Illness ◽  
Effective Strategies ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Resistant Depression

Over a third of patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) do not have an adequate response to first-line antidepressant treatments, i.e., they have treatment-resistant depression (TRD). These patients tend to have a more severe course of illness and are at an increased risk of suicide. Next step treatment options for patients with TRD, include switching to a different antidepressant, combining more than one antidepressant, or augmenting an antidepressant with another (non-antidepressant) medication. It is unclear which of these treatment approaches should be applied to a given patient, and in what order. Due to this ambiguity, comparing antidepressants and augmentation agents on the basis of their efficacy, tolerability, and speed of symptom relief would be beneficial for clinicians. To accomplish this, a systematic search was conducted following PRISMA guidelines. Only randomized controlled trials were included in this qualitative synthesis, resulting in 66 articles. This review identified several effective pharmaco-therapeutic strategies that are currently available for patients with TRD. Ketamine and esketamine appear to be effective for the treatment of TRD. Augmentation with certain second generation antipsychotics, such as quetiapine or aripiprazole is likewise effective, and may be preferred over switching to antidepressant monotherapy. While the combination of olanzapine and fluoxetine was one of the first pharmacotherapy approved for TRD, and its use may be limited by metabolic side-effects. Other effective strategies include augmentation with lithium, liothyronine (T3), lamotrigine, or combination of antidepressants including bupropion, tricyclics, or mirtazapine. There is insufficient research to demonstrate the efficacy of ziprasidone or levothyroxine (T4). A shared decision-making approach is recommended to guide treatment selection to address each patient’s individual needs.

scholarly journals A Review of the Conceptualisation and Risk Factors Associated with Treatment-Resistant Depression

2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jenifer A. Murphy ◽  
Jerome Sarris ◽  
Gerard J. Byrne
Keyword(s):  
Major Depression ◽  
Poor Response ◽  
Clinical Problem ◽  
Treatment Resistant Depression ◽  
Treatment Resistant ◽  
Rank One ◽  
System Activation ◽  
Resistant Depression ◽  
Staging Model ◽  
Inflammatory System

Major depression does not always remit. Difficult-to-treat depression is thought to contribute to the large disease burden posed by depression. Treatment-resistant depression (TRD) is the conventional term for nonresponse to treatment in individuals with major depression. Indicators of the phenomenon are the poor response rates to antidepressants in clinical practice and the overestimation of the efficacy of antidepressants in medical scientific literature. Current TRD staging models are based on anecdotal evidence without an empirical rationale to rank one treatment strategy above another. Many factors have been associated with TRD such as inflammatory system activation, abnormal neural activity, neurotransmitter dysfunction, melancholic clinical features, bipolarity, and a higher traumatic load. This narrative review provides an overview of this complex clinical problem and discusses the reconceptualization of depression using an illness staging model in line with other medical fields such as oncology.

Pharmacogenomic testing for treatment resistant depression

2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (5) ◽  
pp. 236-239
Author(s):  
Susan G. Leckband
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Testing ◽  
Genetic Factors ◽  
Poor Response ◽  
Trial And Error ◽  
Treatment Resistant Depression ◽  
Antidepressant Response ◽  
Treatment Resistant ◽  
Dose Selection ◽  
Multiple Trials ◽  
Resistant Depression

The percentage of patients who have failed to completely or partially respond to multiple trials of antidepressants at adequate doses and for an adequate duration of therapy has varied in the literature and is considered substantial. Numerous strategies exist to treat poor antidepressant response, but often medications are selected on a “trial and error” basis. Genetic factors may play a role in poor response or intolerance to treatment with antidepressants which lead to treatment failures. Currently, available genetic testing as well as genetic testing currently under research may help guide clinicians with proper medication and dose selection.

scholarly journals A Clinical Rationale for Assessing the Impact of Childhood Sexual Abuse on Adjunctive Subcutaneous Esketamine for Treatment-Resistant Depression

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eduardo Jorge Muniz Magalhães ◽  
Luciana Maria Sarin ◽  
Lorena Catarina Del Sant ◽  
Ana Cecília Lucchese ◽  
Carolina Nakahira ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Abuse ◽  
Adult Population ◽  
Positive Family History ◽  
Poor Response ◽  
Depression Symptom ◽  
Treatment Resistant Depression ◽  
Treatment Resistant ◽  
History Of ◽  
Resistant Depression ◽  
The Impact

Background: A history of child sexual abuse (CSA) is related to higher suicide rates and poor treatment outcomes in depressed adult patients. Twenty years after the first study investigating the effects of ketamine/esketamine on depression and suicide, there is a lack of data on the CSA effects on this emerging treatment. Here, we assess the impact of CSA on adjunctive subcutaneous (SC) esketamine for treatment-resistant depression (TRD).Methods: A directed acyclic graphic (DAG) was designed to identify clinical confounders between CSA and esketamine predictors of response. The confounders were applied in a statistical model to predict depression symptom trajectory in a sample of 67 TRD outpatients.Results: The patient sample had a relatively high prevalence rate of CSA (35.82%). Positive family history of first-degree relatives with alcohol use disorder and sex were clinical mediators of the effects of esketamine in a CSA adult population. Overall, the presence of at least one CSA event was unrelated to esketamine symptom reduction.Conclusions: Unlike responses to conventional antidepressants and psychotherapy, CSA does not appear to predict poor response to esketamine.

Therapeutic Strategies for Treatment-resistant Depression: State of the Art and Future Perspectives

2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 244-252
Author(s):  
Kah K. Goh ◽  
Shen-Chieh Chang ◽  
Chun-Hsin Chen ◽  
Mong-Liang Lu
Keyword(s):  
Antidepressant Treatment ◽  
Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
Therapeutic Strategies ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Inadequate Response ◽  
Treatment Resistant Depression ◽  
Treatment Resistant ◽  
Treatment Choices ◽  
Resistant Depression

In this narrative review, we intended to summarize the evidence of pharmacological and somatic treatment choices for treatment-resistant depression (TRD). There are several types of therapeutic strategies to improve inadequate response to antidepressant treatment. The first step for patients with TRD is to optimize the dosage and duration of antidepressants as well as to ensure their drug compliance. The shift to antidepressant and antidepressant combination therapy for patients with TRD cannot be regarded as an evidence-based strategy. Only the combination of a monoamine reuptake inhibitor with a presynaptic α2-autoreceptor antagonist might have better efficacy than other antidepressant combinations. Currently, the most evidence-based treatment options for TRD are augmentation strategies. Among augmentative agents, second-generation antipsychotics and lithium have the strongest evidence for the management of TRD. Further studies are needed to evaluate the augmentative efficacy of anticonvulsants, thyroid hormone, glutamatergic agents, anti-inflammatory agents, and nutraceuticals for TRD. Among somatic therapies, electroconvulsive therapy and repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation are effective for TRD. Further studies are warranted to provide clinicians with a better recommendation in making treatment choices in patients with TRD.

scholarly journals The promise of ketamine for treatment-resistant depression: current evidence and future directions

2015 ◽  
Vol 1345 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-58 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kaitlin E. DeWilde ◽  
Cara F. Levitch ◽  
James W. Murrough ◽  
Sanjay J. Mathew ◽  
Dan V. Iosifescu
Keyword(s):  
Current Evidence ◽  
Treatment Resistant Depression ◽  
Treatment Resistant ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
Resistant Depression

scholarly journals Transcranial pulsed electromagnetic fields for treatment-resistant depression: A multicenter 8-week single-arm cohort study

2020 ◽  
Vol 63 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Erik Roj Larsen ◽  
Rasmus W. Licht ◽  
René Ernst Nielsen ◽  
Annette Lolk ◽  
Bille Borck ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cohort Study ◽  
Antidepressant Treatment ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
Depression Scale ◽  
Antidepressant Effect ◽  
Hamilton Depression Scale ◽  
Treatment Resistant Depression ◽  
Treatment Resistant ◽  
Resistant Depression ◽  
Pulsed Electromagnetic

Abstract Background. The efficacy of antidepressant treatment is fair, but the efficacy is considerably lower in patients failing two or more trials underscoring the need for new treatment options. Our study evaluated the augmenting antidepressant effect of 8-weeks transcranial pulsed electromagnetic field (T-PEMF) therapy in patients with treatment-resistant depression. Methods. A multicenter 8-week single-arm cohort study conducted by the Danish University Antidepressant Group. Results. In total, 58 participants (20 men and 38 women) with a moderate to severe depression as part of a depressive disorder according to ICD-10 who fulfilled criteria for treatment resistance were included, with 19 participants being nonresponders to electroconvulsive therapy during the current depressive episode. Fifty-two participants completed the study period. Scores on the Hamilton Depression Scale 17-items version (HAM-D17) decreased significantly from baseline (mean = 20.6, SD 4.0) to endpoint (mean = 12.6, SD 7.1; N = 58). At endpoint, utilizing a Last Observation Carried Forward analysis, 49 and 28% of those participants with, respectively, a nonchronic current episode (≤2 years; N = 33) and a chronic current episode (>2 years; N = 25) were responders, that is, achieved a reduction of 50% or more on the HAM-D17 scale. At endpoint, respectively, 30 and 16% obtained remission, defined as HAM-D17 ≤ 7. On the Hamilton Scale 6-item version (HAM-D6), respectively, 51 and 16% obtained remission, defined as HAM-D6 ≤ 4. Conclusions. The findings indicate a potential beneficial role of T-PEMF therapy as an augmentation treatment to ongoing pharmacotherapy in treatment-resistant depression.

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