CANMAT Guidelines: Depression Part 3 (neurostimulation etc) Flashcards
name the first line neurostimulation treatment recommended by the guidelines for MDD?
under what conditions is this recommended?
tTMS
(if FAILED at least one antidepressant)
what level evidence is there for rTMS for MDD in the acute and maintenance phases
level 1 for acute and level 3 for maintenance
(has level 1 evidence for safety and tolerability)
what is the second line neurostimulation treatment recommended by the guidelines for MDD
ECT (it is first line in some situations)
what level evidence is there for ECT for MDD
level 1 for acute and maintenance, and for safety and tolerability
WE HAVE GOOD EVIDENCE ECT WORKS AND IS SAFE AND TOLERABLE
list two third line neurostimulation treatments for MDD
tDCS
VNS
list two investigational neurostimulation treatments for MDD
DBS
MST
what is tDCS
transcranial direct current stimulation
a form of brain stimulation that delivers a CONTINUOUS, LOW AMPLITUDE electrical current to a specified cortical region using SCALP electrodes
list some advantages of tDCS
ease of use
low cost
portability
potential for home based use
ability for combination with other treatments
low potential for adverse effects
what is the effect of ANODAL stimulation in tDCS
anodal stimulation over the cortex INCREASES cortical excitability through DEpolarization of neuronal membrane potential
what is the effect of CATHODAL stimulation in tDCS
cathodal stimulation DECREASES cortical excitability through HYPERpolarization of the neuronal membrane potential
what is the hypothesized mediator of the effects of tDCS
NMDA receptor-dependent mechanisms
are there clear parameters for the optimal delivery of tDCS
no cohesive summary
exact frequency and duration of stimulation have not been established
how is tDCS generally delivered (i.e placement of electrodes etc)
anodal stimulation over the left DLPFC
+
cathode used as a ground over a noncortical region
OR
anodal stimulation over the left DLPFC and cathodal stimulation over the right DLPFC
what is an often used parameter for frequency and intensity for tDCS treatment (to observe and antidepressant effect)
seems that minimum stimulation with 2 milliamperes (mA) for at least 30 min per day for 2 weeks is necessary to observe an antidepressant effect
is tDCS monotherapy or combo therapy with SSRI better
combo
is tDCS well tolerated
yes generally
what are the most common side effects of tDCS
regional effects at skin–> redness, itching, burning, heat, tingling
low rates observed of headaches, blurred vision, ear ringing, fatigue, nausea, mild euphoria, reduced concentration, disorientation, insomnia, anxiety
is there a risk of hypomania or mania with tDCS
yes–> found in study where tDCS was combined with sertraline though
what is rTMS
uses powerful (1-2.5 Tesla), focused MAGNETIC FIELD PULSES to induce electrical currents in neural tissue noninvasively via an inductor COIL placed against the SCALP
is anesthesia required for rTMS
no
do we have a clear understanding of the mechanism by which rTMS has antidepressant effects
no–> mechanisms proposed at both cell-molecular and network levels
what is a standard protocol for rTMS
once daily, 5 days per week
(there are some slower and faster schedules being investigated)
maximal effects found at about 26-28 sessions
stimulation delivered in 2-10 second trains at 10-60 sec intervals in 15-45 min sessions
how is stimulus intensity determined for rTMS? what is the most common stimulus intensity prarameter for rTMS?
stimulus intensity based on individually determined resting motor threshold (RMT–> minimum intensity to elicit muscle twitches at relaxed upper and lower extremities)
most common intensity is 110%-120% RMT
what are the two first line rTMS stimulation protocols
high frequency rTMS to left DLPFC
low frequency rTMS to right DLPFC
*there are other protocols as well but i will never remember them
is high frequency rTMS considered excitatory or inhibitory
high frequency rTMS is generally considered EXCITATORY
(low frequency rTMS generally considered inhibitory)
does rTMS have evidence in treating treatment resistant depression
rTMS targeting the left DLPFC showed superior response and remission rates vs sham in this population
following successful rTMS is there evidence for maintenance rTMS ongoing
yes–> evidence for more sustained remission with maintenance rTMS
is rTMS as effective as ECT
no–> rTMS is consistently LESS EFFECTIVE than ECT (especially for psychosis)
are rTMS and ECT complementary or competing treatments
best understood as complementary
is rTMS effective when ECT has failed
no–> response rates are poor to rTMS when ECT has failed
*consider rTMS prior to pursuing ECT
what are common side effects of rTMS
scalp pain during treatment (40%)
transient headache after treatment (30%)
SEs diminish steadily over treatment
are there any cognitive side effects of rTMS
no worsening (no difference vs sham)
what is the most serious rTMS adverse event
seizure induction
*less than 25 cases worldwide
what is a contraindication for high frequency rTMS
seizure history
is low frequency rTMS safe in epilepsy
yes
*but for most practictioners a history of seizures is a contraindication for rTMS
what is the incidence of seizure with rTMS?
how does this compared to baseline spontaneous risk of seizures?
rTMS: 0.01-0.1% risk
spontaneous: 0.07-0.09% risk
name two absolute contraindications to rTMS
metallic hardware in head (except mouth)
(many consider seizure hx absolute contraindication)
list 4 relative contraindications to rTMS
cardiac pacemaker
implantable defibrillator
hx epilepsy
brain lesion (vascular, traumatic, neoplastic, infectious, metabolic)
what is ECT
a therapeutic procedure that entails induction of a seizure by applying electrical stimulus to the brain
it is an EFFECTIVE and WELL ESTABLISHED treatment method for depression and other mental disorders
how is ECT delivered
in a controlled setting under induction of general anesthesia and the application of a muscle relaxant
are there any ABSOLUTE contraindications to ECT
no
(according to CANMAT guidelines)
list 7 conditions that may be associated with increased safety risk in ECT
- space occupying cerebral lesion
- increased ICP
- recent MI
- recent cerebral hemorrhage
- unstable vascular aneurysm or malformation
- pheochromocytoma
- class 4 or 5 anesthesia risk
what is the proposed mechanism of action of ECT
still being investigated
main hypotheses = seizure induced changes in neurotransmitters, neuroplasticity, and functional connectivity
i.e ECT can increase levels of brain derived neurotrophic factors (BDNF) which may contribute to the antidepressant effect
what effect does ECT have on brain derived neurotrophic factors
increases levels of BDNF which may contribute to the antidepressant effect
why is ECT considered second line in treatment of MDD
because of adverse events
but can be considered first line in some situations
list 3 treatment parameters of ECT to consider
electrode position
electrical intensity
pulse width
that are the three most common electrode placements in ECT
right unilateral
bitemporal
bifrontal
what is the basis of the electrical intensity used in ECT treatment
based on the minimum intensity to produce a generalized seizure–> SEIZURE THRESHOLD
what electrical intensity is generally used in bitemporal and bifrontal ECT
1.5-2x seizure threshold
what electrical intensity is generally used in RUL ECT
5-6x (or even up to 8x) seizure threshold
which electrode placement is most efficacious in ECT
BT, BF and RUL have EQUAL efficacy but have different cognitive side effect profiles
which two electrode placements in ECT are recommended first line
BF and RUL
BT is recommended second line due to higher rates of short term cognitive adverse effects
what pulse width is generally used with ECT
brief pulse (BP)
*clinical and research interest in ultra brief pulse width treatments
why might ultra brief pulse width ECT be beneficial
may be associated with less short term cognitive impairment and specifically the loss of autobiographical memory
*BUT ultra brief pulse width may have slower speed of improvement and require more treatments that brief pulse
what is the typical index course of ECT
6-15 treatments
*usually delivered 2-3x per week in the index course
are more than 3 ECT treatments per week recommended
no–> associated with more cognitive side effects
list 9 clinical indications for ECT as a FIRST LINE treatment for MDD
- acute suicidal ideation
–level 1 - psychotic features
–level 1 - treatment resistant depression
–level 1 - repeated medication intolerance
- catatonic features
- prior favorable response to ECT
- rapidly deteriorating physical status
- during pregnancy, for any of the above indications
- patient preference
is ECT effective in treating MDD? what is the response rate?
it is one of the MOST effective treatments for MDD
response rates can reach 70-80% with remission rates 40-50% or higher depending on patient population and type of stimulus
what is the strongest predictor of non response to ECT
the degree of resistance to previous treatments
what is the response rate to ECT in patients with a previous treatment failure to psychological or pharmacolgical treatment
50%
(compared to 65% response for those who had not failed another treatment)
list clinical factors associated with higher response rates to ECT
older patients
psychotic features
shorter episode duration
?lesser depressive severity
what are the relapse/recurrence rates associated with ECT
also high
highest in first 6 months post ECT
relapse rates of about 50% have been observed within 1-2 years
how does maintenance ECT compared to pharmacotherapy post ECT
maintenance ECT is as effective as pharmacotherapy (in preventing relapse and recurrence)
what pharmacotherapy should be used post ECT for maintenance
an untried antidepressant
OR
nortriptyline + lithium
OR
venlafaxine + lithium
how does pharmacotherapy post ECT compare to continuation/maintenance ECT with regard to preventing relapse/recurrence
about equally effective
what is a typical schedule for continuation/maintenance ECT
weekly x 4 weeks
then
biweekly x 8 weeks
then monthly
if deteriorates, increase frequency
what is the impact of antidepressants post ECT on relapse rates
decreases relapse rates by half
have any studies demonstrated damage to brain structures related to administration of ECT
no
what is the mortality rate associated with ECT
less than 1 in 73440 treatments (0.0014%)
list the 3 most common side effects of ECT
headache (about half)
muscle soreness (20%)
nausea (up to 25%)
*most are associated with treatment, are transient and can be treated symptomatically
what is the rate of manic switch with ECT
7%
list possible cognitive side effects of ECT
- transient disorientation when recovering from ECT (post ictal + effects of general anesthesia)
- retrograde amnesia
- anterograde amnesia
- there is mild, short term impairment in memory and other cognitive domains during and immediately following a course of ECT
–> impairments are usually TRANSIENT with recovery of cognitive functioning occurring within weeks to months after an acute course of ECT–> no eventual cognitive differences between ECT parameters including electrode placement or pulse width
list 3 factors associated with greater risk of cognitive impairment related to ECT
pre-existing cognitive impairment
older age
use of bitemporal placement
is the retrograde amnesia sometimes seen in ECT also transient?
some studies suggest PERSISTING DEFICITS
others suggest objective tests of autobiographical memory did not persist beyond 6 months post ECT
patient self reports indicate some persistent cognitive dysfunction, especially retrograde amnesia, but self reports of cognitive dysfunction are usually highly correlated with PERSISTENT DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS and are NOT correlated with objective testing
is there a benefit to treating with ADs during the ECT course (rather than sequentially after)
yes–> lower relapse rates
why might you reconsider lithium treatment in a patient undergoing ECT
may increase risk of side effects
higher risk of cognitive symptoms
risk of encephalopathy
risk of spontaneous seizures
why might you reconsider benzodiazapine or anticonvulsant treatment during a course of ECT
likely to raise the seizure threshold and decrease seizure efficacy
*lamotrigine may be less problematic
what is magnetic seizure therapy (MST)
noninvasive convulsive neurostimulation therapy that relies on the principle of ELECTROMAGNETIC INDUCTION to induce an electric field in the brain strong enough to elicit a generalized tonic clonic seizure
being investigated as alternative to ECT
seizure is elicited under GA with assisted ventilation and EEG monitoring
why might you opt for MST over ECT
MST has potential for fewer side effects such as cognitive dysfunction
how is MST performed
uses a neurostimulator and coil that is placed in direct contact with the skull
when electrical current passes through the coil, a strong FOCAL MAGNETIC FIELD is generated (around 2 Tesla)
magnetic field crosses the skull and soft tissue unimpeded to reach brain tissue–> induces electrical current that causes neuronal depolarization and eventually triggering seizure
what are the delivery parameters of MST
The optimal delivery parameters for MST are still being investigated.
Most studies have used a coil placement at the vertex
(i.e., Cz in 10-20 electroencephalogram [EEG] system) with a
frequency of stimulation of 100 Hz, pulse width of 0.2to 0.4 ms,
and stimulation duration of 10 seconds.
how often is MST given? how long is an index course?
usually similar to ECT
index around 12 treatments, 2-3 x per week