Lithium and Standard Therapy in Resistant Depression (LAST)
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ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00927550 |
Recruitment Status
: Unknown
Verified September 2009 by Universita di Verona.
Recruitment status was: Recruiting
First Posted
: June 25, 2009
Last Update Posted
: September 17, 2009
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Condition or disease | Intervention/treatment | Phase |
---|---|---|
Depression | Drug: lithium Drug: usual care | Phase 4 |
Inclusion criteria:
- Diagnosis of major depression (clinical diagnosis, guided by DSM-IV criteria).
- History of attempted suicide or deliberate self-harm in the previous 12 months.
- Inadequate response to at least two antidepressants given sequentially at an adequate dose for an adequate time for the current depressive episode.
- Uncertainty about which treatment arm would be best for the participant.
- Age 18 or above.
- Agreement between investigator and patient to enter the study.
Exclusion criteria:
- In addition to major depression, a primary diagnosis of any concurrent Axis I disorder (according to DSM-IV criteria) will constitute an exclusion criterion; by contrast, any concurrent Axis II disorder (according to DSM-IV criteria) will not constitute an exclusion criterion.
- Previous exposure to lithium was associated with lack of efficacy or unwanted adverse reactions.
- Clinical conditions contraindicate the experimental treatment arm (for example thyroid or kidney disease or abnormalities).
- Pregnant/lactating women.
- Women of childbearing potential not practicing a reliable method of contraception.
PRIMARY OUTCOME DEFINITION
Suicide completion and acts of deliberate self harm (DSH) will constitute the composite primary outcome. The term "suicide" is defined as an act with a fatal outcome, deliberately initiated and performed by the person with the knowledge or expectation of its fatal outcome.
DSH is defined as intentional self-poisoning or self-injury, irrespective of motivation. Self-poisoning includes the intentional self-ingestion of more than the prescribed amount of any drug, whether or not there is evidence that the act was intended to result in death. This also includes poisoning with non-ingestible substances and gas, overdoses of "recreational drugs" and severe alcohol intoxication where clinical staff consider such cases to be an act of intentional self-harm (rather than recreational binge drinking). Self-injury is defined as any injury that has been intentionally self-inflicted, including self-cutting. The intention to end life may be absent or present to a variable degree. Other terms used to describe this phenomenon are "attempted suicide" and "parasuicide". Some acts of DSH are characterised by high suicidal intent, meticulous planning (including precautions against being found out), and severe lethality of the method used. Other acts of DSH are characterised by no or low intention of suicide, lack of planning and concealing of the act, and low lethality of the method used.
Study Type : | Interventional (Clinical Trial) |
Estimated Enrollment : | 230 participants |
Allocation: | Randomized |
Intervention Model: | Parallel Assignment |
Masking: | None (Open Label) |
Primary Purpose: | Treatment |
Official Title: | Randomized Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Lithium in Subjects With Treatment-Resistant Depression and Suicide Risk. An Independent, Pragmatic, Multicentre, Parallel-Group, Superiority Trial |
Study Start Date : | June 2009 |
Estimated Primary Completion Date : | December 2012 |
Estimated Study Completion Date : | December 2012 |

Arm | Intervention/treatment |
---|---|
Experimental: lithium plus usual care |
Drug: lithium
Patients allocated to lithium will be administered an oral starting dose ranging between 150 and 300 milligrams. Suggested final oral dose will have to achieve plasma levels of 0.4 to 1.0 mmol/L. Clinicians will be free of increasing or decreasing the dose according to clinical status and circumstances. Dose changes will be recorded. Following randomization, treatment is to be taken daily for 1 year unless some clear reason to stop develops. Patients allocated to the lithium arm will receive usual pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment as clinically indicated. Any other pharmacological treatment will be allowed.
Other Name: Carbolithium
|
Active Comparator: usual care without lithium therapy |
Drug: usual care
Patients allocated to the control arm will receive usual pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment as clinically indicated. Patients allocated to the control arm will not be allowed to receive lithium. Any other pharmacological treatment will be allowed.
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- Suicide completion and acts of deliberate self harm (DSH) will constitute the composite primary outcome [ Time Frame: One year ]
- All-cause mortality [ Time Frame: One year ]
- Suicide mortality [ Time Frame: One year ]
- Deliberate self-harm or attempted suicide [ Time Frame: One year ]
- Change in severity of depressive symptoms from baseline [ Time Frame: One year ]
- Adverse reactions during the study [ Time Frame: One year ]

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Ages Eligible for Study: | 18 Years and older (Adult, Senior) |
Sexes Eligible for Study: | All |
Accepts Healthy Volunteers: | No |
Inclusion Criteria:
- Diagnosis of major depression (clinical diagnosis, guided by DSM-IV criteria).
- History of attempted suicide or deliberate self-harm in the previous 12 months.
- Inadequate response to at least two antidepressants given sequentially at an adequate dose for an adequate time for the current depressive episode.
- Uncertainty about which treatment arm would be best for participant.
- Age 18 or above.
- Agreement between investigator and patient to enter the study.
Exclusion Criteria:
- In addition to major depression, a primary diagnosis of any concurrent Axis I disorder (according to DSM-IV criteria) will constitute an exclusion criterion; by contrast, any concurrent Axis II disorder (according to DSM-IV criteria) will not constitute an exclusion criterion.
- Previous exposure to lithium was associated with lack of efficacy or unwanted adverse reactions.
- Clinical conditions contraindicate the experimental treatment arm (for example thyroid or kidney disease or abnormalities).
- Pregnant/lactating women.
- Women of childbearing potential not practicing a reliable method of contraception.

To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT00927550
Contact: corrado barbui, MD | +39 0458126418 | corrado.barbui@univr.it |
Italy | |
University of Verona | Recruiting |
Verona, Italy, 37134 | |
Contact: Corrado Barbui, MD corrado.barbui@univr.it | |
Principal Investigator: Andrea Cipriani, MD | |
Principal Investigator: Corrado Barbui, MD | |
Principal Investigator: Michela Nosè, MD | |
Principal Investigator: Marianna Purgato, Psychologist | |
Principal Investigator: Francesca Girlanda, Psychologist | |
Principal Investigator: Eleonora Esposito, MD |
Study Chair: | Michele Tansella, MD, Professor of psychiatry | Universita di Verona |
Publications automatically indexed to this study by ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier (NCT Number):
Responsible Party: | Corrado Barbui MD, University of Verona |
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: | NCT00927550 History of Changes |
Other Study ID Numbers: |
LAST_RD_FARM77Z3BL-5.1_132009 |
First Posted: | June 25, 2009 Key Record Dates |
Last Update Posted: | September 17, 2009 |
Last Verified: | September 2009 |
Keywords provided by Universita di Verona:
resistant depression lithium RCT lithium therapy standard therapy |
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
Depression Depressive Disorder Behavioral Symptoms Mood Disorders Mental Disorders Lithium Carbonate Antidepressive Agents |
Psychotropic Drugs Enzyme Inhibitors Molecular Mechanisms of Pharmacological Action Antimanic Agents Tranquilizing Agents Central Nervous System Depressants Physiological Effects of Drugs |