A major trauma centre in Teesside is investigating whether antidepressants could prevent depression in patients with brain trauma.
Principal investigator, Laura Evans is part of a wider team at The James Cook University Hospital who are recruiting patients admitted to hospital with a head injury to take part in a randomised clinical trial.
The UK study, known as STOP-D will randomly assign patients to receive the antidepressant, Sertraline, or a placebo for 12 months.
Patients will undergo initial blood and saliva samples and complete questionnaires throughout the course of the trial. They will measure the effects of sertraline on depression, quality of life and cognitive functioning.
Laura Evans, major trauma lead for James Cook said: “Head injuries can have a huge impact on a person’s life in terms of their home life, jobs, and relationships, and we often find that some groups of these patients are very under catered for in terms of resources and support.
“If we knew the extent of which the injury has impacted their lives, we could help them more and I’m hoping the trial will help us to do that.”
Head injury clinics
The research team are recruiting patients from inpatient wards and emergency departments at James Cook and recently launched head injury research clinics for patients to find out more about the trial and to gain access to additional support services within the trust.
Jennifer Burgess, psychiatry registrar for CNTW Mental Health Trust will be working closely with the patients at James Cook throughout the trial and said:
“Mental health problems after a physical injury to the head are so common.
A head injury can disrupt the neural pathways in the brain, altering people’s ability to think, their personalities and emotions and can make it more likely for them to lose jobs or relationships.
“If we find out that antidepressants do prevent depression after a head injury, then that is something we can offer to patients to reduce their recovery time in the future.”
About the trial
The STOP-D trial is led nationally by Prof. Khalida Ismail, Professor of Psychiatry at King’s College, London and funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research.