The purpose of this study is to explore the effect of an inflammatory and a psychosocial stressor and the combination thereof on mood in healthy young and elderly participants and patients with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD).
This is a 2-way crossover (method used to switch patients from one treatment arm to another in a clinical study), randomized (the study medication is assigned by chance), placebo-controlled (an inactive substance that is compared with a study medication to test whether the medication has a real effect in a clinical study) study in 3 cohorts (group of individuals with similar characteristics) ie, 18 healthy young female participants; 18 healthy elderly female participants; 18 female patients with a past history of MDD. Participants will be randomized to 1 of 6 possible treatment groups: Group 1: Treatment AB, Group 2: Treatment BA, Group 3: Treatment AC, Group 4: Treatment CA, Group 5: Treatment AD, Group 6: Treatment DA, where Treatment A is placebo vaccination, Treatment B is typhoid vaccination, Treatment C is psychosocial stress (Trier Social Stress Test \[TSST\]) followed by placebo vaccination, and Treatment D is psychosocial stress (TSST) followed by typhoid vaccination. Participants from each of the 3 cohorts will be randomized to these 6 treatment groups. In all the 6 groups the 1st treatment comes under Period 1 and 2nd treatment under Period 2 (eg, In Group 1: Treatment A \[Period 1\] and Treatment B \[Period 2\]) and there will be a minimally 7- and maximally 14- day washout period (period when no treatment is received) between the study periods. The study will consist of an eligibility screening examination (from 21 to 2 days prior to Day 1 of Period 1); a run-in visit (only prior to Period 1) in which eligible participants will be briefly explained about the cognitive test battery and immediately thereafter the baseline of cognitive function will be measured via these tests; 2 single-blind (a clinical study in which the person giving the treatment, but not the patient, knows which treatment the patient is receiving) treatment periods (2-way crossover); and a follow-up examination by phone (approximately 7 to 14 days after last treatment \[Period 2\]). For each participant, the maximal study duration will not exceed 8 weeks.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE
Enrollment
40
Placebo is Treatment A and C. Form=saline solution for intramuscular (IM) injection (Injection of a solution into a muscle), route = IM, Unit = mL, number = 0.5 administered on Day 1 of Period 1 and Period 2.
Salmonella typhi vaccine (typhoid vaccination) in Treatment B and D; Unit = mg, number = 0.025, form = solution for intramuscularly (IM) injection, route = IM administered on Day 1 of Period 1 and Period 2.
Unnamed facility
Duffel, Belgium
Unnamed facility
Leuven, Belgium
Change in Profile of Mood States (POMS) scores from Baseline to Day 1 of Period 1 and Period 2.
Participants score on a scale ranging from 0 (not at all) to 4 (extremely) any of 30 statements related to their mood / energy level by circling the appropriate number.
Time frame: Baseline (pretreatment), Day 1 of Period 1 and Period 2.
Change in Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) scores from Baseline to Day 1 of Period 1 and Period 2.
Participants rate the way they feel on a 10 mm line separating statements along the extremes of different dimensions (eg, alert - drowsy).
Time frame: Baseline (pretreatment), Day 1 of Period 1 and Period 2.
Change in Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Scale (SHAPS) scores from Baseline to Day 1 of Period 1 and Period 2.
Participants endorse any of 14 statements in 4 categories (Strongly Agree, Agree, Disagree, Strongly Disagree) by ticking the appropriate answer.
Time frame: Baseline (pretreatment), Day 1 of Period 1 and Period 2.
Change in Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) scores from Baseline to Day 1 of Period 1 and Period 2.
The MADRS is used by trained blinded site staff to rate the severity of depression. It consists of 10 items. The minimal rating is 0 (absent) and the maximal rating is 6 (most serious).
Time frame: Baseline (pretreatment), Day 1 of Period 1 and Period 2.
Change in Cognitive Test Battery performance from Baseline to Day 1 of Period 1 and Period 2.
Performance in cognitive tests after the inflammatory (vaccination) and psychosocial stressor and the combination thereof. The cognitive domains to be tested include attention, emotional bias, memory, and executive functioning.
Time frame: Baseline (≤ Day -1 [1 day before starting study drug]), Day 1 of Period 1 and Period 2.
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Changes in levels of hormones and cytokines from Baseline to Day 1 of Period 1 and Period 2.
Changes in levels of hormones and cytokines after the inflammatory (vaccination) and psychosocial stressor and the combination thereof. Approximately 10 mL of blood samples from veins must be collected for the assessment of hormones and cytokines (protein released by cells in blood) related to inflammation and depression (or other relevant neuropsychiatric disorders).
Time frame: Baseline (pretreatment), Day 1 of Period 1 and Period 2.