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Can a computer model outsmart depression in older adults?
NCT ID NCT07810738
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
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Phase 2
Tests whether the treatment actually works, and watches for side effects, in a larger group.
- Participants
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About 300 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Oct 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Sep 2029
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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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
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60 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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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 Hide 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.
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.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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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
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Washington University School of Medicine
St Louis, Missouri, 63110, United States
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