Sequential Multiple Assignment Treatment for Bipolar Disorder (SMART)

The University of Texas System (UT)

Status and phase: Completed; Phase 4

Conditions: Bipolar II Disorder; Bipolar I Disorder

Treatments: Drug: Lamotrigine; Drug: Divalproex; Drug: Quetiapine; Drug: Lithium

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other; NIH

Identifiers

NCT01588457

1P30MH086045-01A2 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

HSC20110361H

Details and patient eligibility

About

The purpose of this study is to compare which of the two mood stabilizers (drugs that help to steady/stabilize mood in patients with bipolar disorder (BD)), lithium and divalproex, is more effective in patients with bipolar disorder over 26 weeks. The study will also compare if lithium or divalproex used alone versus lithium or divalproex used with quetiapine versus lithium or divalproex used with lamotrigine is more effective when symptoms of depression develop.

Full description

This open methods advancement study will randomize BD patients with clinically significant symptoms to treatment with one of two mood stabilizers (MS), lithium [Li] or divalproex [Div]. Those who develop protocol defined depression will then be randomized to a MS alone, MS + quetiapine [QTP] or MS + lamotrigine [LTG]. A SMART strategy employs a rule for adding new treatments based on each patient's current illness state and response during the trial, mimicking the adaptive nature of treatment selection which occurs in clinical settings, but in a controlled way which allows application of causal inference. By using early indices of response to dynamically alter treatment decisions to improve outcome, SMART eliminates unmeasured confounders associated with treatment decisions that are not randomized, as occurs in data mining exercises and in other non-randomized decisions in studies which randomize one variable at baseline. This sequential adaptive design represents a methodological innovation in bipolar trial history which will have particular implications for effectiveness studies.

Specific Aim A.1: Assess the feasibility of a SMART design in the conduct of an effectiveness study over 26 weeks in patients with BD (bipolar disorder).

Aim A.2 Compare the effectiveness of Li to Div as a primary component of treatment for BD over 26 weeks.

Aim A.3: Assess the effectiveness of MS + QTP and MS + LTG versus MS in subjects who develop depression.

A4. Exploratory Aims: 1.Determine the effects of ethnicity, language facility, education and stress as moderators of treatment outcomes; 2. Explore the use of novel statistical methodologies to more informatively characterize illness trajectories in response to the interventions. In the aggregate these aims also will clarify whether the SMART confirms results provided by traditional, single point randomized controlled trials (RCTs).

Enrollment: 112 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 65 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• DSM-IV TR (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual Edition IV Text Revision) diagnosis BD I or II as assessed by MINI PLUS (Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview PLUS)
• Male or female ≥ 18 years old
• Currently symptomatic with a CGI-BP-S ≥3 for mania/hypomania &/or depression for ≥ 2 weeks
• One of the following indicators of recent active illness: a depressive or manic or hypomanic or mixed episode in the past 12 months
• If female of child bearing age must use effective birth control.

Exclusion criteria

• Unwilling or unable to comply with study requirements
• Renal impairment (serum creatinine > 1.5 mg/dL)
• If maintained on thyroid medication must be euthyroid for at least 1 month before Visit 1
• Patients who have had intolerable side effects to QTP, Li, Div, or LTG
• Patients whose clinical status requires inpatient care
• Drug/alcohol dependence within the past 30 days
• Pregnancy as determined by serum pregnancy test or breastfeeding
• History of poor response to Li at a serum Li of ≥ 0.5 mEq/L (milliequivalents per Liter) or Div at a serum level of ≥ 45 mg/dL for at least 2 weeks.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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112 participants in 6 patient groups

Lithium

Active Comparator group

Description:

This open methods advancement study will randomize BD patients with clinically significant symptoms to treatment with one of two mood stabilizers, lithium \[Li\] at baseline. Lithium is one of these two mood stabilizers. The person may or may not stay solely on lithium throughout the study.

Treatment:

Drug: Lithium

Divalproex

Active Comparator group

Description:

This open methods advancement study will randomize BD patients with clinically significant symptoms to treatment with one of two mood stabilizers, divalproex (DV)at baseline. Divalproex is one of these two mood stabilizers. The person may or may not stay solely on divalproex throughout the study.

Treatment:

Drug: Divalproex

Lithium plus Quetiapine

Active Comparator group

Description:

Those who develop protocol defined depression will then be randomized to a mood stabilizer (lithium) + quetiapine \[QT\].

Treatment:

Drug: Lithium

Drug: Quetiapine

Lithium plus Lamotrigine

Active Comparator group

Description:

Those who develop protocol defined depression will then be randomized to a mood stabilizer (lithium) + lamotrigine (LM).

Treatment:

Drug: Lithium

Drug: Lamotrigine

Divalproex plus Quetiapine

Active Comparator group

Description:

Those who develop protocol defined depression will then be randomized to a mood stabilizer (divalproex) + quetiapine \[QT\].

Treatment:

Drug: Quetiapine

Drug: Divalproex

Divalproex plus Lamotrigine

Active Comparator group

Description:

Those who develop protocol defined depression will then be randomized to a mood stabilizer (divalproex) + lamotrigine (LM).

Treatment:

Drug: Divalproex

Drug: Lamotrigine