Differential response to SSRI versus Placebo and distinct neural signatures among data-driven subgroups of patients with major depressive disorder

Cherise R. Chin Fatt, Crystal M. Cooper, Manish K. Jha, Abu Minhajuddin, A. John Rush, Joseph M. Trombello, Maurizio Fava, Melvin McInnis, Myrna Weissman, Madhukar H. Trivedi

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

2 Scopus citations

Abstract

Objective:: To identify data-driven subgroups in Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) in order to elucidate underlying neural correlates and determine if these subgroups have utility in predicting response to antidepressant versus placebo. Methods:: Using 27 clinical measures at baseline of Establishing Moderators and Biosignatures of Antidepressant Response for Clinical Care for Depression (EMBARC) study, participants with MDD (n=244) were sub grouped using principal component (PC) analysis. Baseline-to-week-8 changes in depression severity with sertraline versus placebo were compared in these subgroups. Resting-state functional connectivity of these subgroups were compared to those of healthy controls (n=38). Results:: Eight subgroups were identified from four PCs: (PC1) severity of depression-associated symptoms, (PC2) sub-threshold mania and anhedonia, (PC3) childhood trauma, medical comorbidities, and sexual dysfunction, and (PC4) personality traits of openness and agreeableness. Participants with high childhood trauma experienced greater improvement with sertraline (Cohen's d=0.87), whereas those with either higher levels of subthreshold hypomanic symptoms (Cohen's d=0.67) or with lower levels of agreeableness and openness experienced greater improvement with placebo (Cohen's d=0.71). Participants with high childhood trauma had greater connectivity between salience and dorsal attention networks, whereas those with higher levels of subthreshold hypomanic symptoms and lower levels of agreeableness and openness had greater connectivity within limbic network and that of visual network with hippocampus and dorsal attention network. Conclusion:: Assessing history of childhood trauma, presence of subthreshold hypomanic symptoms and personality traits may help to identify subgroups of patients with MDD who respond differentially to sertraline or placebo and have distinct neural signatures.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)602-610
Number of pages9
JournalJournal of affective disorders
Volume282
DOIs
StatePublished - Mar 1 2021

Keywords

  • Clinical
  • Data Driven
  • Major Depressive Disorder
  • SSRI
  • Subgroups
  • fMRI

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Clinical Psychology
  • Psychiatry and Mental health

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