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NCT06751875Completed

Preventing Relapse After Successful Electroconvulsive Therapy for Depression

Preventing Relapse After Successful Electroconvulsive Therapy for Depression. A Randomized Controlled Trial on Lithium as add-on to Personalized Maintenance ECT.

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Last updated 5 May 2026

Brief summary (registry, in English)

The present project is designed to study two promising relapse prevention strategies in an RCT. This will be the first project worldwide to study the effects of a personalized ECT treatment algorithm in the continuation phase of depression in an ECT-responsive population of all ages. The project holds promise for diminishing relapse rates after successful ECT, thereby being of potential impact for a vulnerable group of patients with an often-recurring form of major depressive disorder. The underinvestigated role of lithium after successful ECT is the focus of our project. In order to improve implementation options, the investigators assess self-rating of mood alongside clinician-ratings. To investigate the effectiveness of these strategies, a multidisciplinary research project with partners from UAntwerp as well as PZ Duffel, KULeuven, AZ Sint-Jan in Brugge and our Dutch partner UMC Rotterdam was set up. With the expertise, skills and patients available at the consortium participants, the research team will be able to address the challenges of the project in terms of planning and organization of the treatment and testings. This is a completely clinical study with the intent to decrease relapse rates after successful ECT. The concrete scientific objectives (SO) will be the following: * SO1: Investigate the additive effect of lithium-addition to symptom-driven M-ECT and antidepressant treatment in preventing relapse after successful ECT. * SO2: Validate the effectiveness of a personalized, symptom-driven approach of maintenance ECT (for 6 months) in depressive patients that have responded to an acute ECT-course. * SO3: Compare clinician-rated mood with scores on self-rating scales. * SO4: Evaluate the tolerability of combined continuation treatment in the two different treatment arms by assessment of cognitive functioning.

Status (registry)
Completed
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
96 (actual)
First submitted
20 Dec 2024
Start date
26 Jul 2019
Primary completion date
1 Dec 2024
Lead sponsor
Universiteit Antwerpen
Diseases
Depression
NCT number
NCT06751875

What you commit to

  • Study type: Interventional
  • Participants enrolled: 96
  • From 26 Jul 2019 to the primary completion date, 1 Dec 2024
  • 1 site in 1 country
  • Visits and tests: ask the trial team, the registry does not list them

Built from the registry fields of ClinicalTrials.gov. It describes the study, not your situation.

Who cannot take part

Copied verbatim from ClinicalTrials.gov and grouped by topic. Only the trial team decides who can take part.

Prior treatment

  • Patients already being treated with Lithium, or with a contra-indication for its use

Other illness

  • Patients with bipolar, schizoaffective disorder or schizophrenia
  • Patients with documented dementia or intellectual disability

Other

  • Substance abuse or dependence in the past 6 months
  • Pregnancy or breastfeeding

Who the study is looking for

  • Major depressive disorder patients
  • Treatment with either an adequately dosed TCA (with therapeutic blood levels) or venlafaxine (target dose of ≥ 225mg/day)
  • Remitted (IDS-C≤12) after an acute course of ECT
  • Age 18 or older
  • If applicable, use of appropriate contraception.

Age in the registry: 18 years to - · Sex: All · Does not accept healthy volunteers

Full criteria on ClinicalTrials.gov

Sites (1)

Sites in registry order. Pick your city on the disease page to sort them by distance.

SiteCityCountrySite status
Collaborative Antwerp Psychiatric Research Institute (CAPRI)
Coordinator of this site? Confirm its status
WilrijkBelgiumUnknown status

This page is information, not medical advice. Discuss any trial with your doctor.