Can a computer model outsmart depression in older adults?

NCT ID NCT07810738

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Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting This study
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Sep 09, 2026 · Last updated Sep 10, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

Researchers are testing whether a computer-based model can choose the better add-on medication for older adults with depression that has not improved after at least two standard treatments. The trial enrolls 300 people aged 60 and older who still have moderate to severe symptoms. Participants take either aripiprazole or bupropion alongside their current antidepressant for 10 weeks, with check-ins every one to two weeks. The main question is whether model-guided selection leads to higher remission rates than random selection.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
aripiprazole or bupropion added to an existing antidepressant
What this could lead to
If the personalized approach works, doctors could use a computer model to choose the right add-on medication faster for older adults whose depression has not responded to standard treatment.
What could go wrong
The predictive models may not pick better than chance, and adding aripiprazole or bupropion can cause side effects such as weight gain, sleep problems, or restlessness. This is a mid-stage trial, so results may not hold in broader groups.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Phase 2

Tests whether the treatment actually works, and watches for side effects, in a larger group.

Participants

About 300 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Expected to start

Oct 2026

An estimate. Start dates often move.

Expected to finish

Sep 2029

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

60 years and older

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: 1. Age 60 years and older 2. Diagnosis of treatment resistant depression, as verified by: 1. Diagnosis of DSM-5 Major Depressive Disorder according to Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 Disorders (SCID) AND 2. Baseline score of at least 10 on the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) AND 3. Either i. At least 2 prior antidepressant trials in the current episode of adequate dose and duration as determined with the Antidepressant Treatment History Form (ATHF), OR ii. one failed trial of a serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI) of adequate dose and duration, including the current antidepressant, OR iii. failed at least 1 antidepressant trial of adequate dose and duration as determined with the ATHF in a prior episode and present in relapse while on another antidepressant of adequate dose and duration as determined with ATHF 3. Ability to provide informed consent and complete the study assessments Taking antidepressant at adequate dose for at least 4 weeks Exclusion Criteria: 1. Dementia, as defined by Short Blessed Test score at least10 and/or documented diagnosis of dementia. 2. Lifetime diagnosis of DSM 5 Bipolar I or II Disorder, Schizophrenia, Schizoaffective Disorder, Schizophreniform Disorder, Delusional Disorder, or current psychotic symptoms, or current (within 3 months) moderate to severe alcohol or substance use disorder as diagnosed by the SCID. 3. High risk for suicide, defined as a 4 or 5 on C-SSRS46 (indicating active suicidal ideation with current or recent intent or plan), and unable to be managed safely in the clinical trial. Urgent psychiatric referral will be made in these cases. 4. Contraindication to study medications (aripiprazole or bupropion XL), as determined by study physician, including history of intolerance or non-response to bupropion (or equivalent bupropion containing drug) as an augmentation agent at greater than or equal to 300 mg or aripiprazole as an augmentation agent at greater than or equal to 5 mg. 5. Physical conditions that, in the estimation of the study physician, prevent safe participation or suggest a high probability of death, or unstable medical illnesses that are not under medical management.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Depressive Disorder, Treatment-Resistant major depressive disorder

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

How to take part

Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.

  1. The places running it

    1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.

  2. The official record

    ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.

    Open the record ↗

  3. A doctor treating you

    A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Washington University School of Medicine

    St Louis, Missouri, 63110, United States

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