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Huneke NTM, Amin J, Baldwin DS, Bellato A, Brandt V, Chamberlain SR, Correll CU, Eudave L, Garner M, Gosling CJ, Hill CM, Hou R, Howes OD, Ioannidis K, Köhler-Forsberg O, Marzulli L, Reed C, Sinclair JMA, Singh S, Solmi M, Cortese S. Placebo effects in randomized trials of pharmacological and neurostimulation interventions for mental disorders: An umbrella review. Mol Psychiatry 2024:10.1038/s41380-024-02638-x. [PMID: 38914807 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-024-02638-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2024] [Revised: 06/17/2024] [Accepted: 06/19/2024] [Indexed: 06/26/2024]
Abstract
There is a growing literature exploring the placebo response within specific mental disorders, but no overarching quantitative synthesis of this research has analyzed evidence across mental disorders. We carried out an umbrella review of meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of biological treatments (pharmacotherapy or neurostimulation) for mental disorders. We explored whether placebo effect size differs across distinct disorders, and the correlates of increased placebo effects. Based on a pre-registered protocol, we searched Medline, PsycInfo, EMBASE, and Web of Knowledge up to 23.10.2022 for systematic reviews and/or meta-analyses reporting placebo effect sizes in psychopharmacological or neurostimulation RCTs. Twenty meta-analyses, summarising 1,691 RCTs involving 261,730 patients, were included. Placebo effect size varied, and was large in alcohol use disorder (g = 0.90, 95% CI [0.70, 1.09]), depression (g = 1.10, 95% CI [1.06, 1.15]), restless legs syndrome (g = 1.41, 95% CI [1.25, 1.56]), and generalized anxiety disorder (d = 1.85, 95% CI [1.61, 2.09]). Placebo effect size was small-to-medium in obsessive-compulsive disorder (d = 0.32, 95% CI [0.22, 0.41]), primary insomnia (g = 0.35, 95% CI [0.28, 0.42]), and schizophrenia spectrum disorders (standardized mean change = 0.33, 95% CI [0.22, 0.44]). Correlates of larger placebo response in multiple mental disorders included later publication year (opposite finding for ADHD), younger age, more trial sites, larger sample size, increased baseline severity, and larger active treatment effect size. Most (18 of 20) meta-analyses were judged 'low' quality as per AMSTAR-2. Placebo effect sizes varied substantially across mental disorders. Future research should explore the sources of this variation. We identified important gaps in the literature, with no eligible systematic reviews/meta-analyses of placebo response in stress-related disorders, eating disorders, behavioural addictions, or bipolar mania.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan T M Huneke
- Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.
- Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK.
| | - Jay Amin
- Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
- Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK
| | - David S Baldwin
- Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
- Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK
- University Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Alessio Bellato
- School of Psychology, University of Nottingham Malaysia, Semenyih, Malaysia
- Centre for Innovation in Mental Health, School of Psychology, Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Valerie Brandt
- Centre for Innovation in Mental Health, School of Psychology, Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
- Clinic of Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Hannover Medical School, Hanover, Germany
| | - Samuel R Chamberlain
- Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
- Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK
| | - Christoph U Correll
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry, Zucker Hillside Hospital, Northwell Health, Glen Oaks, NY, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Molecular Medicine, Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, Hempstead, NY, USA
- Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Manhasset, NY, USA
| | - Luis Eudave
- Faculty of Education and Psychology, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Matthew Garner
- Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
- Centre for Innovation in Mental Health, School of Psychology, Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Corentin J Gosling
- Centre for Innovation in Mental Health, School of Psychology, Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
- Université Paris Nanterre, DysCo Lab, F-92000, Nanterre, France
- Université de Paris, Laboratoire de Psychopathologie et Processus de Santé, F-92100, Boulogne-Billancourt, France
| | - Catherine M Hill
- Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
- Department of Sleep Medicine, Southampton Children's Hospital, Southampton, UK
| | - Ruihua Hou
- Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Oliver D Howes
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- H Lundbeck A/s, Iveco House, Watford, UK
- Institute of Clinical Sciences (ICS), Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Konstantinos Ioannidis
- Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
- Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK
| | - Ole Köhler-Forsberg
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Psychosis Research Unit, Aarhus University Hospital-Psychiatry, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Lucia Marzulli
- Department of Translational Biomedicine and Neuroscience (DIBRAIN), University of Studies of Bari "Aldo Moro", Bari, Italy
| | - Claire Reed
- Centre for Innovation in Mental Health, School of Psychology, Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Julia M A Sinclair
- Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Satneet Singh
- Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK
| | - Marco Solmi
- Centre for Innovation in Mental Health, School of Psychology, Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Department of Mental Health, Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute (OHRI) Clinical Epidemiology Program, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Samuele Cortese
- Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
- Centre for Innovation in Mental Health, School of Psychology, Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
- Solent NHS Trust, Southampton, UK
- DiMePRe-J-Department of Precision and Regenerative Medicine-Jonic Area, University "Aldo Moro", Bari, Italy
- Hassenfeld Children's Hospital at NYU Langone, New York University Child Study Center, New York, NY, USA
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Huneke NTM, Cross C, Fagan HA, Molteni L, Phillips N, Garner M, Baldwin DS. Placebo Effects Are Small on Average in the 7.5% CO2 Inhalational Model of Generalized Anxiety. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 2024; 27:pyae019. [PMID: 38577951 PMCID: PMC11059817 DOI: 10.1093/ijnp/pyae019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Anxiety disorders are highly prevalent and socio-economically costly. Novel pharmacological treatments for these disorders are needed because many patients do not respond to current agents or experience unwanted side effects. However, a barrier to treatment development is the variable and large placebo response rate seen in trials of novel anxiolytics. Despite this, the mechanisms that drive placebo responses in anxiety disorders have been little investigated, possibly due to low availability of convenient experimental paradigms. We aimed to develop and test a novel protocol for inducing placebo anxiolysis in the 7.5% CO2 inhalational model of generalized anxiety in healthy volunteers. METHODS Following a baseline 20-minute CO2 challenge, 32 healthy volunteers were administered a placebo intranasal spray labelled as either the anxiolytic "lorazepam" or "saline." Following this, participants surreptitiously underwent a 20-minute inhalation of normal air. Post-conditioning, a second dose of the placebo was administered, after which participants completed another CO2 challenge. RESULTS Participants administered sham "lorazepam" reported significant positive expectations of reduced anxiety (P = .001), but there was no group-level placebo effect on anxiety following CO2 challenge post-conditioning (Ps > .350). Surprisingly, we found many participants exhibited unexpected worsening of anxiety, despite positive expectations. CONCLUSIONS Contrary to our hypothesis, our novel paradigm did not induce a placebo response, on average. It is possible that effects of 7.5% CO2 inhalation on prefrontal cortex function or behavior in line with a Bayesian predictive coding framework attenuated the effect of expectations on subsequent placebo response. Future studies are needed to explore these possibilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan T M Huneke
- Southern Health National Health Service Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK
- Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, UK
- University Department of Psychiatry, Academic Centre, College Keep, Southampton, UK
| | - Cosmina Cross
- Southern Health National Health Service Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK
| | - Harry A Fagan
- Southern Health National Health Service Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK
- Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, UK
- University Department of Psychiatry, Academic Centre, College Keep, Southampton, UK
| | - Laura Molteni
- Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, UK
- University Department of Psychiatry, Academic Centre, College Keep, Southampton, UK
| | | | - Matthew Garner
- Center for Innovation in Mental Health, School of Psychology, Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Southampton, UK
- University Department of Psychiatry, Academic Centre, College Keep, Southampton, UK
| | - David S Baldwin
- University Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Southern Health National Health Service Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK
- Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, UK
- University Department of Psychiatry, Academic Centre, College Keep, Southampton, UK
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Estrade I, Petit AC, Sylvestre V, Danon M, Leroy S, Perrain R, Vinckier F, Mekaoui L, Gaillard R, Advenier-Iakovlev E, Mancusi RL, Poupon D, De Maricourt P, Gorwood P. Early effects predict trajectories of response to esketamine in treatment-resistant depression. J Affect Disord 2023; 342:166-176. [PMID: 37738705 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2023.09.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Revised: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 09/24/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The efficacy of esketamine in treatment-resistant depression (TRD) has been confirmed. However, its administration is expensive and restrictive, with limited knowledge on how long the treatment should be continued. Predicting the treatment outcome would benefit patients and alleviate the global treatment cost. We aimed to define distinct trajectories of treatment response and assess their predictability. METHODS In this longitudinal study, two independent samples of patients with unipolar or bipolar TRD were treated with esketamine in real-world settings. Depression severity was assessed using the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) before each esketamine administration. Latent class analyses were used to define trajectories of response. RESULTS In the original sample (N = 50), we identified two classes whose trajectories depicted response and non-response, respectively. The model was validated in the confirmatory sample (N = 55). Class membership was influenced by a few baseline characteristics such as concomitant benzodiazepine medication, number of depressive episodes or polarity. On the other hand, after only two esketamine administrations, the MADRS score predicted the 90-day trajectory of response with an accuracy of 80 %. LIMITATIONS This observational study is not placebo-controlled. Therefore, its results and their generalizability need to be confirmed in experimental settings. CONCLUSIONS After the first administrations of esketamine, the MADRS score has a good capacity to predict the most plausible trajectory of response. While thresholds and their predictive values need to be confirmed, this finding suggests that clinicians could base on MADRS scores their decision to discontinue treatment because of poor remaining chances of treatment response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isaure Estrade
- Clinique des Maladies Mentales et de l'Encéphale (CMME), GHU Paris Psychiatrie et Neurosciences, Hôpital Sainte-Anne, Paris, France
| | - Anne-Cécile Petit
- Pôle Hospitalo-Universitaire Psychiatrie Paris 15, GHU Paris Psychiatrie et Neurosciences, Hôpital Sainte-Anne, Paris, France; Université Paris Cité, Paris, France; Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR 3571, Perception and Memory Unit, F-75015 Paris, France
| | - Vincent Sylvestre
- Pôle Hospitalo-Universitaire Psychiatrie Paris 15, GHU Paris Psychiatrie et Neurosciences, Hôpital Sainte-Anne, Paris, France
| | - Michel Danon
- Clinique des Maladies Mentales et de l'Encéphale (CMME), GHU Paris Psychiatrie et Neurosciences, Hôpital Sainte-Anne, Paris, France; Université Paris Cité, INSERM, U1266 (Institute of Psychiatry and Neuroscience of Paris), Paris, France
| | - Sylvain Leroy
- Pharmacy, GHU Paris Psychiatrie et Neurosciences, Hôpital Sainte-Anne, Paris, France
| | - Rebecca Perrain
- Clinique des Maladies Mentales et de l'Encéphale (CMME), GHU Paris Psychiatrie et Neurosciences, Hôpital Sainte-Anne, Paris, France
| | - Fabien Vinckier
- Pôle Hospitalo-Universitaire Psychiatrie Paris 15, GHU Paris Psychiatrie et Neurosciences, Hôpital Sainte-Anne, Paris, France; Université Paris Cité, Paris, France; Motivation, Brain & Behavior lab, Institut du Cerveau, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Lila Mekaoui
- Clinique des Maladies Mentales et de l'Encéphale (CMME), GHU Paris Psychiatrie et Neurosciences, Hôpital Sainte-Anne, Paris, France
| | - Raphaël Gaillard
- Pôle Hospitalo-Universitaire Psychiatrie Paris 15, GHU Paris Psychiatrie et Neurosciences, Hôpital Sainte-Anne, Paris, France; Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | | | - Rossella Letizia Mancusi
- Délégation à la Recherche Clinique et à l'Innovation, GHU Paris Psychiatrie et Neurosciences, Hôpital Sainte-Anne, Paris, France
| | - Daphnée Poupon
- Clinique des Maladies Mentales et de l'Encéphale (CMME), GHU Paris Psychiatrie et Neurosciences, Hôpital Sainte-Anne, Paris, France
| | - Pierre De Maricourt
- Pôle Hospitalo-Universitaire Psychiatrie Paris 15, GHU Paris Psychiatrie et Neurosciences, Hôpital Sainte-Anne, Paris, France
| | - Philip Gorwood
- Clinique des Maladies Mentales et de l'Encéphale (CMME), GHU Paris Psychiatrie et Neurosciences, Hôpital Sainte-Anne, Paris, France; Université Paris Cité, INSERM, U1266 (Institute of Psychiatry and Neuroscience of Paris), Paris, France.
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Huneke NT, Amin J, Baldwin DS, Chamberlain SR, Correll CU, Garner M, Hill CM, Hou R, Howes OD, Sinclair JM, Solmi M, Cortese S. Placebo effects in mental health disorders: protocol for an umbrella review. BMJ Open 2023; 13:e073946. [PMID: 38035741 PMCID: PMC10689367 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-073946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Given the high prevalence of mental health disorders and their significant socioeconomic burden, there is a need to develop improved treatments, and to evaluate them through placebo-controlled trials. However, the magnitude of the placebo response in randomised controlled trials to test medications may be substantial, affecting their interpretation. Therefore, improved understanding of the patient, trial and mental disorder factors that influence placebo responses would inform clinical trial design to better detect active treatment effects. There is a growing literature exploring the placebo response within specific mental health disorders, but no overarching synthesis of this research has been produced to date. We present a protocol for an umbrella review of systematic reviews and/or meta-analyses in which we aim to understand the effect size and potential predictors of placebo response within, and across, mental health disorders. METHODS AND ANALYSIS We will systematically search databases (Medline, PsycINFO, EMBASE+EMBASE Classic, Web of Knowledge) for systematic reviews and/or meta-analyses that report placebo effect size in clinical trials in patients with mental health disorders (initial search date 23 October 2022). Screening of abstracts and full texts will be done in pairs. We will extract data to qualitatively examine how placebo effect size varies across mental health disorders. We also plan to qualitatively summarise predictors of increased placebo response identified either quantitatively (eg, through meta-regression) or qualitatively. Risk of bias will be assessed using the AMSTAR-2 tool. We aim to not only summarise the current literature but also to identify gaps in knowledge and generate further hypotheses. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION We do not believe there are any specific ethical considerations relevant to this study. We will publish the results in a peer-reviewed journal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan Tm Huneke
- Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Southampton Faculty of Medicine, Southampton, UK
- Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK
| | - Jay Amin
- Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Southampton Faculty of Medicine, Southampton, UK
- Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK
| | - David S Baldwin
- Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Southampton Faculty of Medicine, Southampton, UK
- Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK
- University Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Samuel R Chamberlain
- Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Southampton Faculty of Medicine, Southampton, UK
- Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK
| | - Christoph U Correll
- Psychiatry, The Zucker Hillside Hospital, Glen Oaks, New York, USA
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry and Molecular Medicine, Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, Hempstead, New York, USA
- Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Manhasset, New York, USA
| | - Matthew Garner
- Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Southampton Faculty of Medicine, Southampton, UK
- Centre for Innovation in Mental Health, School of Psychology, Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Catherine M Hill
- Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Southampton Faculty of Medicine, Southampton, UK
- Department of Sleep Medicine, Southampton Children's Hospital, Southampton, UK
| | - Ruihua Hou
- Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Southampton Faculty of Medicine, Southampton, UK
| | - Oliver D Howes
- Department of Psychosis Studies, King's College London Institute of Psychiatry Psychology and Neuroscience, London, UK
- H Lundbeck A/s, Iveco House, Watford, UK
- Institute of Clinical Sciences (ICS), Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Julia Ma Sinclair
- Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Southampton Faculty of Medicine, Southampton, UK
| | - Marco Solmi
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Centre for Innovation in Mental Health, School of Psychology, Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute (OHRI) Clinical Epidemiology Program, University of Ottawa, Ottowa, Ontario, Canada
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Samuele Cortese
- Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Southampton Faculty of Medicine, Southampton, UK
- Centre for Innovation in Mental Health, School of Psychology, Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
- Solent NHS Trust, Southampton, UK
- Division of Psychiatry and Applied Psychology, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
- Hassenfeld Children's Hospital at NYU Langone, New York University Child Study Center, New York, New York, USA
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Huneke NTM, Aslan IH, Fagan H, Phillips N, Tanna R, Cortese S, Garner M, Baldwin DS. Functional Neuroimaging Correlates of Placebo Response in Patients With Depressive or Anxiety Disorders: A Systematic Review. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 2022; 25:433-447. [PMID: 35078210 PMCID: PMC9211006 DOI: 10.1093/ijnp/pyac009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2021] [Revised: 12/23/2021] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The mechanisms underlying placebo effects of psychotropic drugs remain poorly understood. We carried out the first, to our knowledge, systematic review of functional neuroimaging correlates of placebo response in adults with anxiety/depressive disorders. METHODS We systematically searched a large set of databases up to February 2021 based on a pre-registered protocol (PROSPERO CRD42019156911). We extracted neuroimaging data related to clinical improvement following placebo or related to placebo mechanisms. We did not perform a meta-analysis due to the small number of included studies and significant heterogeneity in study design and outcome measures. RESULTS We found 12 relevant studies for depressive disorders and 4 for anxiety disorders. Activity in the ventral striatum, rostral anterior cingulate cortex and other default mode network regions, orbitofrontal cortex, and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex correlated with placebo antidepressant responses. Activity in regions of the default mode network, including posterior cingulate cortex, was associated with placebo anxiolysis. There was also evidence for possible involvement of the endogenous opioid, dopamine, and serotonin systems in placebo antidepressant and anxiolytic effects. CONCLUSIONS Several brain regions and molecular systems may be involved in these placebo effects. Further adequately powered studies exploring causality and controlling for confounders are required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan T M Huneke
- Correspondence: Nathan T. M. Huneke, University Department of Psychiatry, Academic Centre, College Keep, 4-12 Terminus Terrace, Southampton, SO14 3DT, UK ()
| | - Ibrahim H Aslan
- Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK,University Department of Psychiatry, Academic Centre, Southampton, UK
| | - Harry Fagan
- Southern Health National Health Service Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK,University Department of Psychiatry, Academic Centre, Southampton, UK
| | | | - Rhea Tanna
- Southern Health National Health Service Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK
| | - Samuele Cortese
- Solent National Health Service Trust, Southampton, UK,Center for Innovation in Mental Health, School of Psychology, Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK,Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital at NYU Langone, New York University Child Study Center, New York City, New York, USA,Division of Psychiatry and Applied Psychology, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Matthew Garner
- Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK,School of Psychology, Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - David S Baldwin
- Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK,Southern Health National Health Service Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK,University Department of Psychiatry, Academic Centre, Southampton, UK,University Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
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Huneke NTM, Chamberlain SR, Baldwin DS, Grant JE. Diverse predictors of treatment response to active medication and placebo in gambling disorder. J Psychiatr Res 2021; 144:96-101. [PMID: 34607088 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2021.09.053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2021] [Revised: 09/20/2021] [Accepted: 09/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Gambling disorder creates a significant public health burden. Despite decades of clinical trials, there are no licensed pharmacological treatments for gambling disorder. Contributing factors to this are the high placebo response rates seen in clinical trials, the heterogeneity of the disorder and high rates of psychiatric comorbidities. Indeed, a number of demographic and clinical variables have previously been associated with altered responses to pharmacotherapy, psychotherapy and placebo. Which variables are likely to predict response to one modality over another remains uncertain. We carried out multiple linear regression analyses in a pooled dataset from six treatment studies in gambling disorder with the aim of identifying predictors of treatment response. Potential predictors were identified a priori through hypothesis and entered into models including all patients, and subsequently for those randomized to active medication or placebo separately. We found that baseline severity of gambling symptoms and number of weeks completed in a trial were predictors of active medication response, while decreased baseline symptoms of anxiety, increased baseline symptoms of depression, and non-Caucasian ethnicity were associated with placebo response. Sensitivity analyses showed that these associations were robust to choices made during the analysis. Further research is required to understand whether controlling for these variables, or using enriched samples, improves assay sensitivity in placebo-controlled clinical trials for gambling disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan T M Huneke
- Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, UK; University Department of Psychiatry, University of Southampton, UK; Southern Health National Health Service Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK.
| | - Samuel R Chamberlain
- Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, UK; University Department of Psychiatry, University of Southampton, UK; Southern Health National Health Service Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK; Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, UK
| | - David S Baldwin
- Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, UK; University Department of Psychiatry, University of Southampton, UK; Southern Health National Health Service Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK; University Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Jon E Grant
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Chicago, Pritzker School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
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Luft MJ, Dobson ET, Levine A, Croarkin PE, Strawn JR. Pharmacologic interventions for antidepressant-induced sexual dysfunction: a systematic review and network meta-analysis of trials using the Arizona sexual experience scale. CNS Spectr 2021:1-10. [PMID: 33843553 DOI: 10.1017/s1092852921000377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite the prevalence of antidepressant-related sexual side effects, comparisons of treatments for these problematic side effects are lacking. METHODS To address this, we performed a systematic review and Bayesian network meta-analysis to compare interventions for antidepressant-induced sexual dysfunction in adults. Using PubMed and clinicaltrials.gov, we identified published and unpublished prospective treatment trials from 1985 to September 2020 (primary outcome: the Arizona sexual experience scale [ASEX] score). The quality of evidence was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation framework. RESULTS We identified 57 citations (27 randomized controlled trials, 66 treatment arms, 27 open-label trials, and 3 crossover trials) that evaluated 33 interventions (3108 patients). In the systematic review, 44% (25/57) of trials reported successful interventions; this was more common in open-label (70%, 19/27) compared to placebo-controlled studies (22%, 6/27). In the meta-analysis of placebo-controlled studies that used the ASEX (N = 8), pycnogenol was superior to placebo (standardized mean difference: -1.8, 95% credible interval [CrI]: [-3.7 to 0.0]) and there was evidence that, at a 6% threshold, sildenafil improved sexual dysfunction (standardized mean difference: -1.2, 95% CrI [-2.5 to 0.1]). In the meta-analysis including single-arm studies (15 studies), treatment response was more common with sildenafil, tianeptine, maca, tiagabine, and mirtazapine compared to placebo, but these differences failed to reach statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS While heterogeneity across randomized controlled trials complicates identifying the single best intervention, multiple trials suggest that sildenafil ameliorates antidepressant-induced sexual dysfunction. More randomized controlled trials are needed to examine the putative efficacy of other interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marissa J Luft
- Anxiety Disorders Research Program, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Eric T Dobson
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - Amir Levine
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University and New York State Psychiatric Institute (NYSPI), New York, New York, USA
| | - Paul E Croarkin
- Mayo Clinic, Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Jeffrey R Strawn
- Anxiety Disorders Research Program, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
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Rosenfield MN, Bernstein MH. The Importance of Patient Expectations: A Mixed-Methods Study of U.S. Psychiatrists. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:781494. [PMID: 34925105 PMCID: PMC8678457 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.781494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2021] [Accepted: 11/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective: To examine how psychiatrists think about and modulate non-specific factors (e.g., hope, expectations) in clinical practice. Methods: U.S. psychiatrists were recruited for two studies assessing attitudes and behaviors related to non-specific factors. Study 1 entailed remote qualitative focus groups (k = 7) with n = 26 participants (36.0% female). Study 2 was a quantitative survey with n = 346 respondents (34.0% female) designed to assess the generalizability of focus group findings. Results: Four themes were identified in Study 1 that were used to inform the survey (Study 2): (1) Expectations (2) Hope, (3) Placebo Effect, and (4) Aesthetic Features. Nearly all surveyed psychiatrists (92.2%) considered patient expectations at least "most of the time" when interacting with a patient. Focus groups revealed that psychiatrists often attempt to balance optimism and realism to improve outcomes. A majority of survey respondents believed office design and physician attire could at least somewhat influence expectations (72.5 and 77.3%, respectively) and even outcomes (51.5 and 58.7%, respectively). Focus group psychiatrists described how physical features may be used as therapeutic tools. Conclusions: Psychiatrists are highly mindful of patient expectations. Although there is variability in the perceived importance of expectations, hope, the placebo effect, and aesthetic features, many utilize these factors in clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maayan N Rosenfield
- Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, School of Public Health, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States
| | - Michael H Bernstein
- Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, School of Public Health, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States
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