This work may not be copied, distributed, displayed, published, reproduced, transmitted, modified, posted, sold, licensed, or used for commercial purposes. By downloading this file, you are agreeing to the publisher’s Terms & Conditions.

Original Research

Impact of Concurrent Posttraumatic Stress Disorder on Outcomes of Antipsychotic Augmentation for Major Depressive Disorder With a Prior Failed Treatment: VAST-D Randomized Clinical Trial

Somaia Mohamed, MD, PhDa,*; Gary R. Johnson, MSb; Varadan Sevilimedu, MBBS, DrPHb,c; Sanjai D. Rao, MDd; Paul B. Hicks, MDe; Peijun Chen, MD, PhD, MPHf; Kimberly Lauro, PhDd; George Jurjus, MDf; Patricia Pilkinton, MDg; Lori Davis, MDg; James A. Wilcox, MD, PhDh; Ali Iranmanesh, MDi; Mamta Sapra, MDi; Muhammad Aslam, MDj; James Michalets, MDk; Michael Thase, MDl; and Sidney Zisook, MDd; for the CSP#576 VAST-D Investigatorsm

Published: June 23, 2020

Article Abstract

Objective: To determine whether concurrent posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) should affect whether to augment or switch medications when major depressive disorder (MDD) has not responded to a prior antidepressant trial.

Methods: Patients at 35 Veterans Health Administration medical centers from December 2012 to May 2015 with nonpsychotic MDD (N = 1,522) and a suboptimal response to adequate antidepressant treatment were randomly assigned to 3 “next step” treatments: switching to bupropion, augmenting the current antidepressant with bupropion, and augmenting with the antipsychotic aripiprazole. Blinded ratings with the 16-item Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology-Clinician Rated (QIDS-C16) determined remission and response by 12 weeks and relapse after remission. Survival analyses compared treatment effects in patients with concurrent PTSD diagnosed with the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (n = 717, 47.1%) and those without PTSD (n = 805, 52.9%).

Results: Patients diagnosed with PTSD showed more severe depressive symptoms at baseline and were less likely to achieve either remission or response by 12 weeks. Augmentation with aripiprazole was associated with greater likelihood of achieving response (68.4%) than switching to bupropion (57.7%) in patients with PTSD (relative risk [RR] = 1.26; 95% CI, 1.01-1.59) as well as in patients without PTSD (RR = 1.29; 95% CI, 1.05-1.97) (78.9% response with aripiprazole augmentation vs 66.9% with switching to bupropion). Treatment comparisons with the group receiving augmentation with bupropion were not significant. There was no significant interaction between treatment group and PTSD on remission (P = .70), response (P = .98), or relapse (P = .15).

Conclusions: Although PTSD was associated with poorer overall outcomes, the presence of concurrent PTSD among Veterans in this trial did not affect the comparative effectiveness of medications on response, remission, or relapse after initial remission.

Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01421342

Volume: 81

Quick Links: Depression (MDD)

Continue Reading…

Subscribe to read the entire article

$40.00

Buy this Article as a PDF

References