The RAFT ECT Study

NCT ID: NCT05402657

Last Updated: 2025-04-11

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

154 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2023-03-22

Study Completion Date

2026-01-31

Brief Summary

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Severe depression is devastating for those affected and is often associated with significant risk of suicide. Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a highly effective acute treatment for severe depression, but its use and acceptability are limited by cognitive side effects. Of these, retrograde memory loss is most concerning, and can be long-term. The introduction of ultrabrief right unilateral (UBRUL) ECT into clinical practice has been an important step in reducing the risk of memory impairment, but significant deficits still occur.

A new form of UBRUL ECT which utilises a Frontoparietal electrode placement represents a further development. Preliminary data suggest that Frontoparietal UBRUL has good efficacy and less cognitive side effects than UBRUL given using the conventional Temporoparietal electrode placement. Designed as a pivotal trial, this protocol will be the first RCT comparing these two forms of ECT, producing the rigorous efficacy and safety data required to change clinical practice/policy.

This is a multicentre, parallel group RCT with 1:1 allocation ratio between Frontoparietal (intervention) and Temporoparietal (comparator) forms of UBRUL ECT. Participation will involve receiving randomised acute ECT under blinded conditions during the randomised acute treatment period (typically around 4 weeks), then completion of a 24-week follow-up period which commences after the cessation of all acute ECT. The study protocol aims to provide 12 randomised acute ECT treatments, though the number of treatments (and hence the length of the randomised acute treatment period) can be adjusted by the participant's own treating/admitting psychiatrist according to their clinical judgement.

Detailed Description

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Conditions

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Major Depressive Episode

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

DOUBLE

Participants Outcome Assessors
Participants and outcome assessors completing assessments of mood (primary outcome) will be blinded to the participant's treatment allocation until the database is locked and the primary analysis completed. Hospital ward personnel, if not involved in the delivery of ECT, will also be blinded.

Study Groups

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Frontoparietal ECT Group

Participants will receive ultrabrief right unilateral ECT with a frontoparietal placement of ECT electrodes.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Frontoparietal Ultrabrief Right Unilateral (UBRUL-FP) electroconvulsive therapy

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

UBRUL-FP involves ultrabrief right unilateral ECT delivered using a novel frontoparietal montage, where the anterior electrode is shifted frontally to a position above the midpoint of the right eye to avoid temporal lobe stimulation (and reduce memory side effects). UBRUL-FP will be delivered using standard ECT devices.

Temporoparietal ECT Group

Participants will receive ultrabrief right unilateral ECT with the conventional temporoparietal placement of ECT electrodes.

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Temporoparietal Ultrabrief Right Unilateral (UBRUL-TP) electroconvulsive therapy

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

UBRUL-TP is the standard form of ultrabrief right unilateral ECT, using the conventional temporoparietal (d'Elia) electrode placement, where the anterior electrode is placed over the right temporal lobe. UBRUL-TP will be delivered using standard ECT devices.

Interventions

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Frontoparietal Ultrabrief Right Unilateral (UBRUL-FP) electroconvulsive therapy

UBRUL-FP involves ultrabrief right unilateral ECT delivered using a novel frontoparietal montage, where the anterior electrode is shifted frontally to a position above the midpoint of the right eye to avoid temporal lobe stimulation (and reduce memory side effects). UBRUL-FP will be delivered using standard ECT devices.

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

Temporoparietal Ultrabrief Right Unilateral (UBRUL-TP) electroconvulsive therapy

UBRUL-TP is the standard form of ultrabrief right unilateral ECT, using the conventional temporoparietal (d'Elia) electrode placement, where the anterior electrode is placed over the right temporal lobe. UBRUL-TP will be delivered using standard ECT devices.

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* DSM-5 diagnosis\* of major depressive episode (unipolar or bipolar)
* HRSD-17 score ≥ 17 at Screening
* At least 18 years old
* Able to tolerate washout of prohibited medications and restriction on benzodiazepine dosage, as determined by patient's own treating psychiatrist.
* ECT indicated for treatment of depression, as determined by own treating referring psychiatrist and confirmed by research evaluations (e.g., diagnosis of depression)
* Willing and able to participate in research and comply with study requirements
* Sufficient proficiency in spoken English to ensure validity of neuropsychological testing (e.g., worked or studied in an English-speaking context or equivalent)

Exclusion Criteria

* History of schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, other \[non-mood disorder\] psychosis, or rapid cycling bipolar disorder (DSM-5 diagnoses\*)
* Current manic episode, hypomanic episode, or major depressive episode with mixed features (DSM-5 diagnoses\*)
* Alcohol or substance use disorder (other than caffeine or nicotine) present in the past month, or is likely to be present during the 24-week study period as determined by study physician evaluation
* Diagnosis of amnestic disorder, dementia, delirium, or epilepsy, as determined by study physician evaluation and medical history
* Central nervous system disease or brain injury that has resulted in significant cognitive impact, as determined by study physician evaluation and medical history
* Serious or unstable medical condition, as determined by study physician evaluation and medical history
* If female of childbearing potential: a) pregnancy as determined by pregnancy urine screen
* Completed an acute course of ECT during the past 2 months, as determined by treatment history
* Received any ECT during the past 2 weeks
* Failed an adequate course of ECT (i.e., 8 ECT treatments ) in the current depressive episode
* Patients who are prisoners, and those who lack capacity to make medical decisions (as judged by their own treating psychiatrist)
* Currently enrolled in another interventional clinical trial
* Currently using another investigational device or product

* DSM-5 psychiatric diagnoses will be assessed and confirmed using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI; Sheehan et al., 1998) Version 7.0.2 for DSM-5, administered by research team members.
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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National Health and Medical Research Council, Australia

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

Ramsay Clinic Albert Road, Australia

UNKNOWN

Sponsor Role collaborator

Ramsay Clinic Lakeside, Australia

UNKNOWN

Sponsor Role collaborator

Ramsay Clinic Northside, Australia

UNKNOWN

Sponsor Role collaborator

Gold Coast Hospital and Health Service

OTHER_GOV

Sponsor Role collaborator

Augusta University

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

Medical University of South Carolina

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

The University of New South Wales

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

Emory University

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

The George Institute

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

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Colleen Loo

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University of New South Wales

Anthony Rodgers

Role: STUDY_DIRECTOR

The George Institute

Locations

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Emory University

Atlanta, Georgia, United States

Site Status RECRUITING

Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University

Augusta, Georgia, United States

Site Status RECRUITING

Medical University of South Carolina

Charleston, South Carolina, United States

Site Status RECRUITING

Ramsay Clinic Northside

Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Site Status RECRUITING

Ramsay Clinic Lakeside

Warners Bay, New South Wales, Australia

Site Status RECRUITING

Gold Coast University Hospital (GCUH)

Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia

Site Status RECRUITING

Ramsay Clinic Albert Road

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Site Status RECRUITING

Countries

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United States Australia

Central Contacts

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Rita Barreiros

Role: CONTACT

+61 2 9065 9107

Louise Brettell

Role: CONTACT

Facility Contacts

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Jonathan Kim

Role: primary

(404) 712-6939

Laryssa McCloud

Role: primary

(706)721-7968

Morgan Dancy

Role: primary

843-876-5141

Colleen Loo

Role: primary

+61 2 9433 3555

Trial Coordinator

Role: primary

+61 2 4941 3707

Cat Donald

Role: primary

1300 744 284

Melanie Hurley

Role: primary

+61 3 9279 3569

References

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Loo C, Barreiros AR, Martin D, Dong V, George MS, McCall WV, Sarma S, Hopwood M, Weiss A, Bull M, Tuneu CM, Alonzo A, Hadzi-Pavlovic D, Rodgers A, Sahlem GL, Harvey AJ, Haldane K, Brettell L, Fitzgerald PB, Dokos S, Sackeim H. A Randomized Controlled Trial of Ultrabrief Right Unilateral ECT With Frontoparietal Versus Temporoparietal Electrode Placement for Severe Depression-The RAFT ECT Trial. J ECT. 2024 Dec 1;40(4):229-231. doi: 10.1097/YCT.0000000000001018. Epub 2024 Jul 5. No abstract available.

Reference Type DERIVED
PMID: 38968425 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

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APP1159769

Identifier Type: OTHER_GRANT

Identifier Source: secondary_id

RG180233

Identifier Type: OTHER

Identifier Source: secondary_id

X22-0018

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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