Research and Clinical Trials on Sertraline (Zoloft, Lustral)

By Dr Greg Mulhauser
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This list of current clinical research trials on Sertraline (Zoloft, Lustral) is followed by a short set of abstracts from the most recent research articles published on the drug.

Article Contents

Sertraline (Zoloft, Lustral) Clinical Research Trials

From our searchable database at ClinicalTrialsFeeds.org, this list includes all the latest information about clinical trials involving Sertraline (Zoloft, Lustral).

 

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Current Research Literature on Sertraline (Zoloft, Lustral)

Here are abstracts for some of the latest research articles to have appeared on Sertraline (Zoloft, Lustral):

5-HTTLPR polymorphism of serotonin transporter and effects of sertraline in terminally ill cancer patients: report of eleven cases.

Tumori. 2008 Jul-Aug; 94(4): 563-7
Schillani G, Capozzo MA, Aguglia E, De Vanna M, Grassi L, Conte MA, Giraldi T
Depression is difficult to detect in cancer patients, though its determination offers an opportunity to relieve patients' suffering in palliative care. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are the treatment of choice for mood disorders, but they show a highly variable response. The short allelic variants "s/s" and "s/l" of the 5-HTTLPR polymorphism in the promoter region of the serotonin transporter gene has been consistently associated with a poorer response to SSRIs. The aim of this study has therefore been to examine depression, anxiety and mental adaptation to cancer in terminally ill and depressed cancer patients, in relation to treatment with sertraline and to the 5-HTTLPR genetic polymorphism. Eleven consecutive depressed patients with different forms of advanced cancer who were admitted to the Hospice of the Casa di Cura "Pineta del Carso" (Trieste, Italy) were treated with sertraline for two weeks and their response was determined and related to 5-HTTLPR. Sertraline significantly reduced the average depression and anxiety subscale scores of HADS, as well as the scores of the subscales of Mini-MAC. When the effects of sertraline were analyzed in relation to the 5-HTTLPR polymorphism, only patients with the "l/l" allelic variant had significantly lower scores of HADS anxiety, Mini-MAC hopelessness-helplessness and anxious preoccupation, and a higher score for the fighting spirit of Mini-MAC; the depression score was significantly reduced in patients with both allelic variants. These data indicate that sertraline is effective after two weeks of treatment in terminally ill cancer patients, acting not only on depression but also on anxiety and mental adaptation to cancer. Moreover, the effect of sertraline significantly depended on the genetic polymorphism of the serotonin transporter, being more pronounced in patients carrying the "l/l" genetic variant; these findings seem to encourage the examination of a larger sample of patients.

Predictors of response to sertraline in patients with major depression.

Hum Psychopharmacol. 2008 Sep 29;
Morishita S, Kinoshita T
OBJECTIVE: Investigation of the characteristics of patients being treated with antidepressants would be useful in determining which patients would most likely benefit from antidepressant. The purpose of this study was to examine the possible predictors of response to sertraline in major depression. METHOD: A retrospective cohort analysis was carried out among major depression patients. Eighty two patients were identified who were receiving sertraline to treat major depression. RESULTS: The cumulative percentage of responders was over 80% after 6 weeks, and the cumulative percentage of responders was over 80% in patients receiving a 75 mg daily dose. Clinical factors, including age, gender, frequency of episodes, and family history were examined as possible predictors of response to sertraline. On Cox proportional hazards analysis, age, and gender were independent predictive factors of improvement with sertraline. The most influential factor was age (e(coef) = 1.894), followed by gender (e(coef) = 0.542); age over 40 years (chi(2) = 5.598, df = 1, p = 0.018) and female gender (chi(2) = 7.370, df = 1, p = 0.0066) were significantly associated with improvement. CONCLUSIONS: A 6-week treatment period, a 75 mg daily dose, age over 40 years, and female gender appear to be predictors of response to sertraline in major depression. These factors should guide clinicians in determining the choice of antidepressant. Copyright (c) 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

[An effective combined therapy for simple premature ejaculation]

Zhonghua Nan Ke Xue. 2008 Aug; 14(8): 731-3
Pei JT, Shi ZH
OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical effect of a combined therapy in the treatment of simple premature ejaculation. METHODS: A total number of 110 patients with simple premature ejaculation were divided into a control group (n = 50), given oral hydrochloric acid sertraline only, and a combined therapy group (n = 60), treated by oral administration of hydrochloric acid sertraline, local inunction of a traditional Chinese medicine and guidance in sexual psychology and knowledge. At the end of a 4-week treatment and 4 weeks after the drug withdrawal, the therapeutic effects were evaluated by ejaculation latency and satisfaction with sexual life. RESULTS: The total effectiveness rates at the end of the 4-week treatment were 91.6% and 76% in the combined therapy and the control groups, while those 4 weeks after the drug withdrawal were 68.3% and 42% respectively, both with significant differences in between (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: The combined therapy has a satisfactory clinical effect and stability in the treatment of simple premature ejaculation.

Frontal white matter anisotropy and antidepressant remission in late-life depression.

PLoS ONE. 2008; 3(9): e3267
Taylor WD, Kuchibhatla M, Payne ME, Macfall JR, Sheline YI, Krishnan KR, Doraiswamy PM
INTRODUCTION: Neuroanatomic features associated with antidepressant treatment outcomes in older depressed individuals are not well established. This study used diffusion tensor imaging to examine frontal white matter structure in depressed subjects undergoing a 12-week trial of sertraline. We hypothesized that remission would be associated with higher frontal anisotropy measures, and failure to remit with lower anisotropy. METHODS: 74 subjects with Major Depressive Disorder and age 60 years or older were enrolled in a twelve-week open-label trial of sertraline and completed clinical assessments and 1.5T magnetic resonance brain imaging. The apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and fractional anisotropy (FA) were measured in regions of interest placed in the white matter of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, and corpus callosum. Differences in ADC and FA values between subjects who did and did not remit to treatment over the study period were assessed using generalized estimating equations, controlling for age, sex, medical comorbidity and baseline depression severity. RESULTS: Subjects who did not remit to sertraline exhibited higher FA values in the superior frontal gyri and anterior cingulate cortices bilaterally. There were no statistically significant associations between ADC measures and remission. CONCLUSIONS: Failure to remit to sertraline is associated with higher frontal FA values. Functional imaging studies demonstrate that depression is characterized by functional disconnection between frontal and limbic regions. Those individuals where this disconnection is related to structural changes as detected by DTI may be more likely to respond to antidepressants. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00339066.

Addition of risperidone to sertraline improves sertraline-resistant refractory depression without influencing plasma concentrations of sertraline and desmethylsertraline.

Hum Psychopharmacol. 2008 Sep 19;
Yoshimura R, Umene-Nakano W, Ueda N, Ikenouchi-Sugita A, Hori H, Nakamura J
In the present study, we examined the efficacy of risperidone addition on sertraline-resistant depressed patients and the effects of risperidone on the metabolism of sertraline. Ten patients (M/F: 4/6, age: 54 +/- 10 years) met the DSM-IV criteria for major depressive disorder enrolled the study. Hamilton Dating Scale for Depression (HAM-D) scores (mean +/- SD) in all 10 patients significantly decreased from 19 +/- 4 (before risperidone addition) to 11 +/- 3 (4 weeks after risperidone addition). Plasma levels of sertraline and desmethylsertraline did not change after risperidone addition. Serum BDNF levels in responders to risperidone addition were changed from 8.1 +/- 2.7 ng/ml (before risperidone addition) to 11.5 +/- 0.9 ng/ml (4 weeks after risperidone addition); in contrast, those in nonresponders changed from 7.8 +/- 2.2 ng/ml (before risperidone addition) to 7.9 +/- 2.4 ng/ml (4 weeks after risperidone addition). These results suggest that the addition of risperidone to sertraline is effective and well tolerated for sertraline-resistant depressive patients, which is accompanied with the increase in serum BDNF levels in responders to the risperidone addition, and the addition of risperidone to sertraline does not seem to influence sertraline metabolism. Copyright (c) 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

 

This page was last reviewed by Dr Greg Mulhauser, Friday, 4 July 2008.

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