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Pharmacogenetics of Antidepressant-Induced Disinhibition

Pharmacogenetics of Antidepressant-Induced Disinhibition in Children Study

Status
Recruiting
Phases
Unknown
Study type
Observational
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT03953014
Acronym
PGx-AID
Enrollment
120
Registered
2019-05-16
Start date
2019-01-02
Completion date
2026-12-30
Last updated
2026-05-14

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Antidepressant Drug Adverse Reaction, Anxiety Disorders, Major Depressive Disorder, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Keywords

SSRI, Depression, Children, OCD, Anxiety, Antidepressants

Brief summary

The purpose of this study is to identify pharmacogenetic profiles associated with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI)-induced behavioral disinhibition in children with Major depressive disorder (MDD), anxiety disorders and/or obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) that could be used clinically to reduce the incidence of this adverse event and improve health outcomes.

Detailed description

Background and Rationale: Antidepressants such as serotonin-selective reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are frequently prescribed to children to manage major depressive and anxiety disorders. Although SSRIs are thought to be generally effective and well-tolerated in children, 10%- 20% of children treated with SSRIs experience behavioral disinhibition (i.e. activation, hyperactivity, impulsivity, insomnia) that can lead to devastating consequences (e.g. suicidal impulses, violence). There are currently no tools available to assist healthcare providers in predicting which children will experience behavioral disinhibition as a result of SSRI treatment. Research Question: Do children who experience SSRI-induced behavioral disinhibition (SIBD) have a distinct pharmacogenetic profile relative to children who do not have these adverse experiences? Methodology: Using a retrospective cohort study design, 120 SSRI-treated children diagnose with major depression, anxiety and OCD, aged 6 to 17 years of aged will be recruited from Child and Adolescent Addiction, Mental Health & Psychiatry (CAAMHP) Program in Calgary. Children with a current or past history of SSRI use will be identified via recruitment advertisements and by CAAMHP treatment teams operating within community clinics as well as inpatient units within the Alberta Children's Hospital and Foothills Medical Centre. Clinical data will be collected from the participant's medical record as well as information provided by the child's healthcare provider and caretaker using a customized data collection form. Saliva will be collected, processed and genotyped in accordance with standard procedures. Participants and their parents will complete self-report measures to gather information regarding demographics, SIBD, and other adverse side effects and drug reactions. Using machine learning (i.e. the construction of algorithms that can learn from and make predictions on data) we will identify and validate a panel of genetic variants that could be used to pre-emptively detect children at-risk for developing SSRI-induced behavioral disinhibition.

Interventions

None listed

Sponsors

University of Calgary
Lead SponsorOTHER
Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary
CollaboratorOTHER
Alberta Health services
CollaboratorOTHER

Study design

Observational model
OTHER
Time perspective
CROSS_SECTIONAL

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
6 Years to 17 Years
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

1. Aged 6 - 24 years 2. Medical records available 3. Diagnosis of MDD, anxiety disorder, or OCD 4. Current or past history of SSRI therapy

Exclusion criteria

1. Inability of parent/legal guardian to give informed consent 2. Inability of the child to give informed assent 3. Unwillingness of child to provide saliva sample for genetic analysis 4. Current, past or suspected diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, conduct disorder, bipolar disorder, psychotic disorder, or pervasive developmental disorder.

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Genetic variants in SSRI metabolism4 yearsDNA Sample Collection \& Genotyping. Saliva will be collected using Oragene® collection tubes (DNA Genotek, Ottawa, Canada). DNA will be extracted using standard procedures and genotyped.
Behavioural Disinhibition4 yearsInformation on behavioural disinhibition (BD) to note the type, duration and severity of BD gathered from medical records, and participant and parent report. The Treatment-emergent activation and suicidality assessment profile (TEASAP), is a questionnaire that assess common symptoms of activation syndrome/behavioural disinhibition in youth due to SSRI usage.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Adverse Drug Reactions other than SIBD4 yearsA self-report instrument, The Antidepressant Side-Effect Checklist (ASEC) will be used to assess the presence of common adverse reactions to antidepressants.

Countries

Canada

Contacts

CONTACTMadison Heintz, MSW
psychpgxlab@ucalgary.ca5875739747
CONTACTAbdullah Al Maruf, PhD
abdullahal.maruf@ucalgary.ca
PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORChad Bousman, PhD

University of Calgary

PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORPaul Arnold, MD

University of Calgary

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: May 15, 2026