ADaPT SVD
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Apathy and Depression after Pharmacological Treatment in Cerebral Small Vessel Disease
IRAS ID
245721
Contact name
Hugh Markus
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and the University of Cambridge
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 11 months, 17 days
Research summary
Cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) is a condition that affects the small blood vessels in the brain. Apart from experiencing cognitive problems, people with SVD can also often suffer from mental health issues such as depression and apathy. Depression is a mental disorder that causes people to experience depressed mood. On the other hand, apathy is marked by a state of indifference and by a lack of emotions such as excitement or motivation. In primary care, these two conditions are often not distinguished. As a result, depressive and apathetic symptoms in CSVD are usually treated with the same medication called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).
Recent evidence, however, has shown that apathy and depression have distinct underlying neurobiological mechanisms in the brain. This raises the question whether the two conditions should be treated with the same medication or whether the medication might only be effective in reducing depressive but not apathetic symptoms. If SSRIs have different effects on apathy and depression this has important clinical implications. To answer this, the observational study called ADaPT will follow patients with symptomatic small vessel disease who are being prescribed SSRIs as part of the standard clinical care. Research assessments will take place at the beginning of the study, at 6 weeks and at 12 weeks. All participants will complete questionnaires about mood, apathy, level of disability, quality of life. During some of the assessments, they will participate in a standardised cognitive testing. Such work may contribute to the development of individually targeted treatment plans in the future.
REC name
East of England - Cambridge East Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
18/EE/0360
Date of REC Opinion
17 Dec 2018
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion