Fluoxetine Treatment of Depression in Down Syndrome

March 18, 2025 updated by: Robyn P. Thom, M.D., Massachusetts General Hospital

Fluoxetine Treatment of Depression in Adults With Down Syndrome

The purpose of the study is to do a preliminary assessment of whether fluoxetine is effective, safe, and tolerable for the treatment of depression in adults with Down syndrome.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

After being informed about the study and potential risks, all patients or their legal guardians giving written informed consent will be screened for study eligibility. Patients who meet the eligibility requirements will participate in a 16-week, flexibly-dosed, open-label trial of fluoxetine. The dose of fluoxetine will be adjusted over the first 12 weeks of the study and a stable dose will be maintained for the final four weeks of the trial. Adverse effects will be reviewed at each visit and standardized measures of depression will be conducted at weeks 4, 8, 12, and 16.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
4

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Phase 4

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Massachusetts
      • Lexington, Massachusetts, United States, 02421
        • Lurie Center for Autism

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years to 45 years (Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. Age 18-45 years.
  2. Diagnosis of DS confirmed via genetic testing or a clinical diagnosis made by a clinician with significant experience treating patients with DS.
  3. Diagnosis of major depressive disorder based on Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) criteria, confirmed through the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 (SCID-5).
  4. Moderately severe depression as evidenced by a Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) score of 20 or greater at Screen and Baseline. A severity score on the MADRS was chosen as an inclusion criterion since it has been demonstrated to be sensitive to change in adults with MDD.
  5. A Clinical Global Impression Severity Item score > 4 (moderate) for depression symptoms at Screen and Baseline.

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Active primary diagnosis of obsessive-compulsive disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, bipolar disorder, psychosis, or substance use disorder. These disorders are exclusionary since the primary treatment of these disorders may require acute psychosocial or medication treatments that would confound the assessments used in this study. We will evaluate for these disorders using the corresponding SCID-5 modules.
  2. Current or previous diagnosis of dementia, or use of medication to treat dementia. Given the potential overlap between depression and dementia symptoms, we want to ensure we are administering fluoxetine to patients with a diagnosis of depression.
  3. Presence of any past or present conditions that would make treatment with fluoxetine unsafe. This includes allergy to fluoxetine, liver or kidney disease, unstable heart disease, and/or pregnancy (or being sexually active without using acceptable methods to prevent pregnancy).
  4. Use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), bupropion, mirtazapine, antipsychotics, lithium, valproic acid, or carbamazepine. Subjects will need to be off these classes of medications for at least 5 elimination half-lives prior to beginning the trial.
  5. Use of other psychotropic medications which are ineffective, poorly tolerated, or sub-optimal in terms of dose. A board-certified psychiatrist will assess any other psychotropic medications being used and determine whether they are effective, tolerated, and optimal in terms of dose. If medications are ineffective, poorly tolerated, or sub-optimal in terms of dose, the study psychiatrist will work with the subject and his/her treatment team to either taper or optimize the dose of psychotropic medications prior to study enrollment. Concurrent use of a psychotropic medication (other than SSRIs, SNRIs, TCAs, MAOIs, bupropion, mirtazapine, antipsychotics, lithium, valproic acid, or carbamazepine) will be allowed if the dose has been stable for 30 days and if they meet the criteria of effectiveness, tolerability, and dose.
  6. Previous adequate trial of fluoxetine. An adequate trial will be defined as a total daily dose of ≥30 mg for at least 4 weeks. In addition, subjects who developed significant adverse effects during a trial of fluoxetine at any dose or duration will be excluded.
  7. Severe or profound intellectual disability based on clinical assessment and review of standardized assessment of cognitive skills. Participants determined to have severe or profound intellectual disability will be excluded.
  8. Use of medications that pose a clinically significant risk of a drug-drug interaction with fluoxetine.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: N/A
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Fluoxetine
Subjects will receive fluoxetine 5 mg each morning at the start of the trial. The dose will be increased by 5 mg every 2 weeks depending on effectiveness and tolerability. The optimal dose will be reached by week 12 of treatment. The minimum starting dose will be 5 mg and the maximum total daily dose will be 30 mg.
Drug: Fluoxetine
All participants in the study will receive open-label treatment with orally administered fluoxetine for the full duration of the 16-week trial. Fluoxetine is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor. It is approved for the management of major depressive disorder in adults.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Proportion of Participants Who Responded to Treatment at 16 Weeks According to Improvement Item of the Clinical Global Impression-Scale (Response Defined as CGI-I=1 or CGI-I=2)
Time Frame: Week 16
The Clinical Global Impressions Global Improvement (CGI-I) is designed to take into account all factors to arrive at an assessment of response to treatment. The CGI-I scale ranges from 1 to 7 (1=very much improved; 2=much improved; 3=minimally improved; 4=no change; 5=minimally worse; 6=much worse; 7= very much worse), with lower scores indicating improvement (1=very much improved; 2=much improved). In this study, the CGI-I will be focused on the treatment target of depression symptom severity. Participants with a CGI-I score of 1 or 2 will be classified as responders.
Week 16

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Mean 16-Week Change in Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) Total Score
Time Frame: Baseline, Week 16
The MADRS is one of the most frequently used outcome measures in antidepressant efficacy trials and was developed to assess change in depressive symptoms after treatment with antidepressants. It is clinician-rated and consists of 10 items, each rated on a 0-6 scale and summed to determine the total score (minimum score: 0, maximum score: 60). A total score of 7-19 is indicative of mild depression, 20-34 of moderate depression, and 35-60 of severe depression. The MADRS will be conducted at screening, baseline, and each follow-up visit.
Baseline, Week 16
Mean 16-Week Change in Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D) Total Score
Time Frame: Baseline, Week 16
The HAM-D is a clinician-rated scale with scores based on clinical interview and family report. It addresses both somatic and psychological symptoms of depression. Items are rated on either a 5-point scale (0 to 4) or 3-point scale (0 to 2), where higher scores represent increasing severity of depression. The scores of the 17 items are summed to obtain a total score (minimum score: 0, maximum score: 52).
Baseline, Week 16
Mean 16-Week Change in Glasgow Depression Scale for People With a Learning Disability (GDS-LD) Total Score
Time Frame: Baseline, Week 16
The GDS-LD was developed to describe and quantify depressive symptoms in adults with mild-to-moderate learning disabilities. The GDS-LD consists of 19 items scored from 0 to 2. The 19 item scores are summed to obtain the GDS-LD total score (minimum score: 0, maximum score: 38). Higher scores are indicative of more severe depression.
Baseline, Week 16
Mean 16-Week Change in Glasgow Depression Scale for People With a Learning Disability Carer Supplement (GDS-CS) Total Score
Time Frame: Baseline, Week 16
The GDS-CS was developed to describe and quantify depressive symptoms in adults with mild-to-moderate learning disabilities. The GDS-CS consists of 16 items scored from 0 to 2. The 16 item scores are summed to obtain the GDS-CS total score (minimum score: 0, maximum score: 32). Higher scores are indicative of more severe depression.
Baseline, Week 16

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Massachusetts General Hospital

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Robyn P. Thom, MD, Lurie Center for Autism

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
December 5, 2022

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
February 26, 2024

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
February 26, 2024

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
July 11, 2022

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
July 13, 2022

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
July 14, 2022

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
March 30, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
March 18, 2025

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
March 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 2022P000858

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

Yes

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

Cookie Settings

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. For more details carefully read our Privacy and Cookies Policy. ...>>>You can change your preferences or withdraw your consent at any time by deleting the cookies from your website or computer as described in the policy. Please accept it and choose your preferences by ticking the corresponding boxes in the "Manage Settings" section below. Please carefully read our Terms of Service before you proceed with using any part of this website.
«Manage Settings