PReDicT
The PReDicT study (Predicting Response to Depression Treatment) is an EU-funded multi-center randomized clinical trial to investigate whether the online PReDicT test can improve clinical outcomes compared to current approaches for treatment of depression through antidepressants. The department of psychiatry of Amsterdam UMC/VUmc and GGZ inGeest are one of the partners of this European research project (prof. Dick Veltman and Anneke van Schaik).
When using SSRIs to treat depressive symptoms, it usually takes 4 to 6 weeks before improvement in mood can reliably be determined. Often, the actual improvement might even take twice as long as the first medication does not provide the desired effect, leading to the need for adjustments, such as in dosage or in a change to other medication. The PReDicT test could measure changes that are possibly predictive of the effects of antidepressants much earlier in time. A pilot study (Dawson et al., 2015) showed that this test was able to predict in approximately 3 out of 4 participants after 1-2 weeks that an antidepressant would not be effective.
The main aim of the study is to determine whether the use of the online PReDicT test to direct antidepressant treatment results in an increased proportion of depressed patients showing a response to treatment after 8-10 week compared to current approaches in primary care practices. The inclusion for this study is now complete.
The study’s design consisted of a 8-week clinical phase followed by a 40-week follow-up phase. Patients were treated as usual with an SSRI or according to PReDicT treatment during which SSRI treatment might be adjusted by using the PReDicT test results. The sample consists of 150 participants with current major depressive disorder recruited in primary care practices and a basic mental health setting. During baseline assessment (prior to SSRI treatment) questionnaires, an interview, and PReDicT test were administered and information about demographics, mental health and medication history were gathered. After 1, and eventually 2, weeks patients completed the PReDicT test again at home. The results were used to guide treatment. After 8 weeks, assessment was repeated. Patients were followed over a period of 40 weeks with short online questionnaire assessments every 4 weeks at home.
Contact information
Dick Veltman or Anneke van Schaik