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OPTIMUM-D
OPTIMUM-D (Optimized Predictive Treatment in Medications for Unipolar Major Depression) is a multi-site study with participants across Canada. Nova Scotia Health is the lead site for this project. The principal investigator (lead psychiatrist) is Dr. Rudolf Uher.
Why is there a need for OPTIMUM-D?
Some people with depression respond well to one antidepressant, while others require a combination of medications to feel an improvement in symptoms. Clinicians typically prescribe an antidepressant first, wait 8 weeks for a response, and then prescribe an additional medication if it is needed.
New findings show that we can predict who is likely to need combined treatment based on patterns of depressive symptoms and brain activity. Knowing in advance who will need the combined treatment would allow clinicians to make treatment decisions that are more likely to work for an individual with depression so they can get the treatment that will work for them.
What is the aim of OPTIMUM-D?
With this project, want to find out if giving combined treatment immediately improves depression treatment outcomes for individuals who are predicted to not respond to an antidepressant alone. At the end of the study, we hope to answer two questions:
Does combined treatment lead to better outcomes?
Does choosing treatment based on prediction improve outcomes of depression?
If the answer to either question is yes, it could change how depression is treated in clinical practice and help people get the right treatment faster.
OPTIMUM-D is part of the Canadian Biomarker Integration Network in Depression (CANBIND). You can read more about CANBIND here. OPTIMUM-D is funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Ontario Brain Institute.
What does participation involve?
Interested participants will first be assessed to see if this project might be a good fit for them (see Who is eligible? below). Likely-eligible candidates will be asked to come in for a screening visit which will involve physical and psychiatric assessments.
Following the screening visit, participants found eligible will receive best-evidence antidepressant treatment for 12 weeks, with follow up assessments occurring every two weeks during that time. These assessments will vary in length and include clinical visits, self-report questionnaires, cognitive tests, interviews, brain imaging, biospecimen collection and blood work. Some visits may be conducted remotely, but a minimum of 3 visits will be held in person at the DCRP in Halifax (in the Abbie J Lane building of the QEII, 5909 Veterans' Memorial Lane). Interested participants from outside the HRM should contact the DCRP for information on travel accommodations.
Who is eligible?
This study is recruiting people ages of 18 to 65 in Nova Scotia who are currently experiencing depression. If you are receiving treatment for depression but still experiencing symptoms, you may still be eligible for OPTIMUM-D. Individuals who are currently pregnant or breastfeeding will not be eligible. Certain additional criteria must be met, which will be assessed during a pre-screening conversation and at the screening visit.
How do I get in touch?
If you are interested in participating in OPTIMUM-D or would like to find out more, you can get in touch with the DCRP via our contact form, by phone (902 473 5313) or email (depression@nshealth.ca). To chat with us, you can send us a message on Facebook Messenger.
We also welcome referrals from GPs and community health services. Our referral form for use by healthcare professionals can be found here. You do not need to have a GP to be considered for this project.
OPTIMUM-D is part of the Canadian Biomarker Integration Network in Depression (CANBIND). You can read more about CANBIND here. OPTIMUM-D is funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Ontario Brain Institute.
DCRP personnel for OPTIMUM-D
Nicole Stinson, Project Coordinator
Jessica Toombs, Research Assistant
Rudolf Uher, MD, PhD, Principal Investigator
Additional resources
You can read more about this project at the links below: