Open Trial Determining Antidepressant Effects of Omega-3 Supplementation During Pregnancy
NCT ID: NCT03101527
Last Updated: 2017-04-28
Study Results
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Basic Information
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TERMINATED
EARLY_PHASE1
3 participants
INTERVENTIONAL
2011-05-31
2012-02-29
Brief Summary
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Detailed Description
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The antidepressant effects of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) supplementation may offer a particularly appropriate alternative to conventional therapy for depressive episodes that occur during pregnancy. The nutritional needs of the fetus increase the likelihood of omega-3 PUFA deficits in the mother but access to adequate omega-3 PUFAs through fish intake is limited due to concerns over mercury levels. Because polyunsaturated fatty acids are dietary components essential for both fetal development and maternal health, and because their use as supplementation carries a minimal to non-existent side effect burden, women may be more likely to accept omega-3 supplementation over that of conventional antidepressants to manage depressive illness if provided sufficient evidence for effectiveness.
Data supporting the antidepressant potential of omega-3 PUFA supplementation derive first from numerous case-control studies that have associated depressive illness with lower tissue concentrations of omega-3 PUFAs and with higher ratios of omega-6 to omega-3. These findings prompted antidepressant trials of omega-3 supplementation as augmentation or as mono-therapy and many reports described significant benefits over placebo, including one that targeted pregnant women and yielded a large effect size. A number of other trials, however, failed to show clear antidepressant effects. Meta-analyses have highlighted these inconsistencies in results but have found no explanations for them in differing sample demographics, baseline depressive severity levels, PUFA dosing, or trial durations. Other sources of study outcome differences undoubtedly exist and a clear possibility is that the studies with positive results involved subjects more likely to truly benefit from omega-3 supplementation. The characteristics of such individuals are entirely unknown. Though valid predictors of antidepressant response to omega-3 PUFA supplementation would provide powerful tools for personalizing treatment no study has sought to identify them.
One feature that might characterize an individual likely to respond to omega-3 PUFA supplementation is, of course, the presence of relatively low tissue concentrations of omega-3 PUFAs and/or high ratios of omega-6 to omega-3 concentrations. The likelihood that omega-3 PUFA supplementation exerts antidepressant effects via modulation of the inflammatory cascade, and the extensive evidence that high levels of pro-inflammatory markers characterize individuals with depressive disorders, indicate that these measures too may help to select those most likely to benefit from treatment with omega-3 PUFAs.
The identification of response predictors for a specific antidepressant strategy would not only have value for the selection of acute treatment for individuals with active depression but could also be used to choose preventative strategies for individuals who are not currently depressed but who are at high risk because of a recent history of a depressive episode. Prophylaxis against depressive illness in such individuals would have special importance during pregnancy. The adverse effects of depressive illness on both maternal and newborn well-being are widely appreciated but women who develop depressive disorders during pregnancy may, for a variety of reasons, fail to report symptoms to their health care provider or, if they do, treatment response may be delayed or even absent after one or more trials.
Conditions
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Keywords
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Study Design
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NA
SINGLE_GROUP
TREATMENT
NONE
Study Groups
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Supplementation
Subjects received Omega-3 PUFA supplementation
Omega-3 PUFA supplementation
Subjects received 2.2g of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and 1.2g docosahexaenoic daily for the duration of the study
Interventions
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Omega-3 PUFA supplementation
Subjects received 2.2g of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and 1.2g docosahexaenoic daily for the duration of the study
Other Intervention Names
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria
2. Score of 10 or greater on the nine item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) for depression
Exclusion Criteria
2. use in previous 4 weeks of psychotropic medications other than hypnotics or benzodiazepines in diazepam dose-equivalents greater than or equal to 2mg/day for insomnia
3. Fish allergy
4. initiation of regularly scheduled course of psychotherapy within previous 2 months
18 Years
50 Years
FEMALE
No
Sponsors
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William Coryell
OTHER
Responsible Party
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William Coryell
Principal Investigator
References
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Hibbeln JR. Seafood consumption, the DHA content of mothers' milk and prevalence rates of postpartum depression: a cross-national, ecological analysis. J Affect Disord. 2002 May;69(1-3):15-29. doi: 10.1016/s0165-0327(01)00374-3.
De Vriese SR, Christophe AB, Maes M. Lowered serum n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) levels predict the occurrence of postpartum depression: further evidence that lowered n-PUFAs are related to major depression. Life Sci. 2003 Nov 7;73(25):3181-7. doi: 10.1016/j.lfs.2003.02.001.
Peet M, Murphy B, Shay J, Horrobin D. Depletion of omega-3 fatty acid levels in red blood cell membranes of depressive patients. Biol Psychiatry. 1998 Mar 1;43(5):315-9. doi: 10.1016/s0006-3223(97)00206-0.
Rees AM, Austin MP, Owen C, Parker G. Omega-3 deficiency associated with perinatal depression: case control study. Psychiatry Res. 2009 Apr 30;166(2-3):254-9. doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2007.12.011. Epub 2009 Mar 5.
Other Identifiers
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201002781
Identifier Type: -
Identifier Source: org_study_id