Case study: nefazodone for juvenile mood disorders

Recognizing and treating depression in children and adolescents

PURPOSE

The clinical presentation and neurobiology of depression in youth and its appropriate treatment, as well as strategies for improving therapeutic benefit and preventing adverse outcomes, including suicide, are reviewed.

SUMMARY

Functionally impairing depression occurs in 2-10% of children and adolescents. A diagnosis of depression should be considered when a physically healthy child exhibits depressed mood or anhedonia, multiple somatic complaints, or behavioral changes, such as bullying, aggression, and social withdrawal. Risk factors for depression include childhood trauma, genetic susceptibility, and environmental stressors. Antidepressants and cognitive behavioral therapy are the most effective treatments for adolescents with depression. Youth are at risk for the same adverse effects as adults but have an increased risk of behavioral activation, or switch, to mania and suicidal thoughts and behaviors early in treatment. Compared with other antidepressants, fluoxetine has the most evidence for safety and efficacy, particularly in adolescents 12 years or older. There is very little evidence for the effectiveness of any antidepressant in children 11 years and younger. Youth receiving antidepressants should be monitored closely for new-onset or worsening suicidality, particularly during the first two weeks after starting medication, and for three months of therapy. Behavioral activation, aggression, worsening depression, anxiety, insomnia, or impulsivity can herald a switch to mania or suicidality.

CONCLUSION

Depression in youth is common and treatable and responds best to multimodal treatment combining patient and family education, cognitive behavioral therapy, and antidepressant medication. The potential benefits of antidepressants outweigh the risks for adolescents. Family and psychotherapeutic interventions are most effective for prepubertal children.

Somatic treatment for depressive illnesses in children and adolescents

Numerous somatic interventions have been studied as potential treatments of depressive disorders in children and adolescents. These include antidepressant medications, light therapy, electro-convulsive therapy, and alternative therapies. The available evidence suggests that several somatic interventions hold promise as potentially safe and effective treatments for depressed youths; however, there is still much to be learned about these interventions. This article reviews what is known and what needs to be learned about the somatic treatment of pediatric depression.

Diagnosis and treatment of dysthymia in children and adolescents

Dysthymic disorder is a chronic depressive condition occurring in 0.6-4.6% of children and 1.6-8.0% of adolescents. Although symptoms are less severe than those observed in major depression, childhood-onset dysthymic disorder is characterised by a persistent and long-term depressed or irritable mood (mean episode duration 3-4 years), a worse outcome than major depression and, frequently, comorbid disorders (in around 50% of patients). Long-lasting depressive symptoms seem responsible for long-term disabling consequences on social skill learning, psychosocial functioning and consequent professional life, probably contributing to a higher risk of relapse or development of major depression. Consistently, the first episode of major depression occurs 2-3 years after the onset of dysthymic disorder, suggesting that the latter is one of the gateways to recurrent mood disorders. The primary aims of treatment for dysthymic disorder should be to resolve depressive symptoms, reduce the risk of developing other mood disorders over time and strengthen psychosocial functioning, especially in children and adolescents, in order to prevent the potentially serious sequelae of this disorder. As children with dysthymia often have multiple problems, interventions should involve multiple levels and measures: individual psychotherapy, family therapy/education and pharmacological treatment. Psychotherapeutic techniques, such as cognitive-behaviour therapy and interpersonal therapy, have been found to be efficacious interventions in treating children and adolescents with mild to moderate depression in studies including patients with either dysthmia or double depression. SSRIs are the first-line drug treatment for children and adolescents because of their safety, adverse effect profile and ease of use (the safety of paroxetine is currently under investigation). Several nonblind studies have shown the efficacy and good tolerability of SSRIs in children and adolescents with dysthymic disorder, but further research is needed to confirm their efficacy and that of newer antidepressants in the treatment of this disorder. Regardless of whether psychotherapeutic or medical treatments are planned, according to clinical experience, psychoeducational interventions and psychosocial support should be provided to parents and other caregivers during the acute treatment phase to help manage the child's irritable mood and foster a therapeutic alliance and better compliance with treatment. Unfortunately, no studies have focused on continuation treatment of paediatric dysthymic disorder. Given the chronicity, recurrence, psychosocial consequences and peculiar response pattern to treatment of dysthymic disorder, establishing effective 'acute' and 'continuation' interventions in this group of patients should be a priority in mental health management.

Die selektiven Serotonin-Wiederaufnahmehemmer und die neueren Antidepressivasubstanzen in der Kinder- und Jugendpsychiatrie

Zusammenfassung: Fragestellung: Seit der ersten Publikation über einen selektiven Serotonin-Wiederaufnahmehemmer (SSRI) 1974 kam es nicht nur zur Weiterentwicklung der Wirkstoffe aus der Gruppe der SSRI, sondern es sind auch neue Substanzgruppen entwickelt worden. Zu diesen neueren Substanzgruppen gehören, gegliedert nach dem pharmakologischen Wirkmechanismus, die Serotonin2-Antagonisten/Serotonin-Wiederaufnahmehemmer (SARI), die noradrenergen und selektiv serotonergen Antidepressiva (NaSSA), die Noradrenalin- und Dopamin-Wiederaufnahmehemmer (NDRI) und die Serotonin- und Noradrenalin-Wiederaufnahmehemmer (SNRI). In dieser Übersichtsarbeit werden die Wirkmechanismen und Nebenwirkungssprofile der neuen Antidepressivasubstanzen dargestellt und mit den älteren Substanzgruppen wie trizyklischen Antidepressiva (TZA), MAO-Hemmern (MAOH) und SSRI verglichen. Es werden Studien mit Antidepressiva bei Kindern und Jugendlichen mit Depression vorgestellt und verglichen, ob es Unterschiede zwischen den älteren und neueren Antidepressiva gibt. Methode: Es wurde eine Medline Recherche bis einschließlich Januar 2002 durchgeführt. Schlussfolgerungen: Die bis jetzt durchgeführten Studien mit den neueren Antidepressiva sind vielversprechend. Allerdings sind weitere doppelblind, Placebo-kontrollierte Studien notwendig.

Management of Depression in Children and Adolescents

Depression is increasingly recognized as an illness that causes functional impairment and diminished quality of life for all age groups, including children. One to two percent of children and between 4% and 8% of adolescents meet Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders(4th ed.) (DSM-IV-TR) criteria for major depression. Psychotherapy, particularly cognitive-behavioral therapy, is effective, with 70% response rates. Antidepressants are effective according to limited controlled trials; however, concern exists over the gap between research and clinical practice, as most antidepressants are not well-studied in youth. Nevertheless, pharmacotherapy has gained greater acceptance in pediatric psychiatry, and prescriptions for antidepressants in youth have increased dramatically over the past 5 to 10 years. In 1995, 1.08 million selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor prescriptions were written for children and adolescents. Scientific evidence for the safety and effectiveness of antidepressants in youth is reviewed along with data on nondrug interventions such as cognitive-behavioral therapy. Recommendations for promoting the safe and effective management of depression in children and adolescents is provided.

Validation of the Interview Module for Intermittent Explosive Disorder (M-IED) in children and adolescents: a pilot study

We identified a subset of impulsive, aggressive children as having symptoms that met criteria for Intermittent Explosive Disorder (IED) using the Interview Module for Intermittent Explosive Disorder (M-IED). The M-IED was administered to 34 children and adolescents between the ages of 10 and 17. These data provide initial evidence for the M-IED as a useful instrument in the diagnosis of IED in adolescents. The M-IED displayed a high level of inter-rater reliability and adequate test-retest reliability. Construct validity was supported by the fact that the subjects with IED symptomatology had significantly more lifetime aggression, oppositionality, inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity compared to community controls. In addition, the subjects with IED symptomatology had a significantly greater number of episodes of lifetime physical aggression and documented episodes of aggression while in residential treatment compared to psychiatric controls. The subjects with IED symptomatology had a greater number of positive screening questions for DSM-IV diagnoses using the Swanson, Nolan and Pelham questionnaire (SNAP-IV), particularly those related to IED and posttraumatic stress disorder than psychiatric controls.

Nefazodone pharmacokinetics in depressed children and adolescents

OBJECTIVE

To describe the pharmacokinetics and safety of nefazodone (NFZ) in depressed children and adolescents.

METHOD

Depressed youths aged 7 to 17 years were eligible to participate. Intensive sampling for pharmacokinetic analyses of NFZ and 3 of its active metabolites was performed after single and multiple dose administration. Treatment was continued for 6 more weeks and titrated to maximize clinical response.

RESULTS

Twenty-eight patients were enrolled. Systemic exposure to NFZ and 3 metabolites was generally higher in children than adolescents. NFZ and metabolite disposition profiles showed high intra- and interpatient variability. Compared to published data in adults, the half-life of NFZ and 2 of its metabolites appears shorter in children and adolescents. Meta-chlorphenylpiperazine pharmacokinetic parameters were different in 5 patients determined to be poor metabolizers of cytochrome P450 2D6 (CYP2D6). NFZ was well tolerated, and administration was associated with significant reductions (p < .001) in depressive symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS

The pharmacokinetics of NFZ in pediatric patients is highly variable. NFZ appears to be safe in this small, short-term study. Pediatric patients who are poor metabolizers of CYP2D6 do not appear to be at increased risk for NFZ-associated adverse events. Open-label treatment of NFZ is associated with reductions in depressive symptoms.

Pharmacological treatment of depression in children and adolescents

Major depression is a common disorder during childhood and adolescence. Over the past decade, many new antidepressants have been marketed in the US. In adults, these newer agents have been shown to be as effective as the prototypic tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs). Further, when compared with the TCAs these medications are better tolerated and are safer in overdose. Although TCAs are effective in the treatment of depressed adults, controlled clinical trials have not demonstrated their efficacy in either children or adolescents. In addition, concerns about the safety of TCAs and the monoamine oxidase inhibitors has left disappointingly few pharmacological treatment options available for depressed children and adolescents. For this reason, clinicians have begun to prescribe the newer agents for this population, despite the fact that relatively little is known about their disposition, safety or effectiveness in the young. Investigators have begun to examine whether the use of newer antidepressant medications such as fluoxetine, sertraline, paroxetine, fluvoxamine, nefazodone, and venlafaxine is truly indicated for children and adolescents with major depression. Pharmacokinetic studies of sertraline, paroxetine and nefazodone have been performed in depressed youths. The results of these studies have provided data for rational administration strategies for these agents. They have also provided evidence that these agents may be well tolerated in children and adolescents. Further evidence that these agents are often well tolerated when prescribed to depressed youths has been obtained from both open-label and double-blind studies. Published studies have generally shown that open-label treatment with these newer agents often leads to symptom amelioration in paediatric patients with major depression. Since high rates of placebo response are often seen in depressed children and adolescents, results from these studies cannot be interpreted to suggest that these medications have true antidepressant efficacy in this population. At present, the results of only two such studies have been published. The results of one of these trials are difficult to interpret because of methodological considerations. The other study reported that treatment with fluoxetine was superior to placebo. This paper critically reviews what has been published about the pharmacological treatment of depressed paediatric patients and provides some guidance to the use of antidepressants in this patient population, paying particular attention to what is known about the newer antidepressants as well as considering directions for future research.

Nontricyclic antidepressants: current trends in children and adolescents

OBJECTIVES

First, to review the extant data on the safety and efficacy of the use of nontricyclic antidepressants in children and adolescents; second, to identify the main limitations of our current knowledge in this area; and third, to point to future research directions.

METHOD

A Medline search and a review of previous scientific meetings were conducted; all available reports on the efficacy and safety of nontricyclic antidepressants in children and adolescents were critically reviewed.

RESULTS

As in adults, also in children nontricyclic antidepressants are potentially useful in treating a variety of psychiatric disorders. The data supporting their efficacy, however, are quite limited. Obsessive-compulsive disorder is the only psychiatric diagnosis for which pediatric use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors has been approved. One placebo-controlled study in children and adolescents with major depression supports the efficacy of fluoxetine. Other clinical trials of nontricyclic antidepressants in depressed adolescents are in progress. Available data indicate that the safety of these medications is good, at least in the short term.

CONCLUSIONS

The potential usefulness of nontricyclic antidepressants for children and adolescents suffering from a range of disorders is considerable. While information from adults can suggest potential areas of possible efficacy in pediatric patients suffering from similar psychopathology, further research is essential to provide the necessary information on the efficacy, safety, and pharmacokinetics of these medications in children and adolescents.

Antidepressant treatment of juvenile depression

Although depression is increasingly recognized in children and adolescents, these groups have responded to conventional tricyclic antidepressants less robustly than depressed adults. Emerging research suggests that juvenile depression may respond better to serotonergic and atypical pharmacologic agents, so guidelines for selection and administration of these agents are provided.

A risk-benefit assessment of pharmacotherapies for clinical depression in children and adolescents

Child and adolescent major depressive disorders are common and recurrent disorders. The prevalence of major depressive disorders is estimated to be approximately 2% in children and 4 to 8% in adolescents. Major depressive disorders in children are frequently accompanied by other psychiatric disorders, poor psychosocial outcome and a high risk of suicide and substance abuse, indicating the need for effective treatment and prevention. The use of antidepressant medications as the first line of treatment for children and adolescents with mild to moderate major depressive disorders has been questioned. However, some subgroups of patients may benefit from initial treatment with antidepressants. These subgroups may include patients who are unwilling or unable to undergo psychotherapy, have not responded to at least 8 to 12 sessions of psychotherapy, have bipolar, atypical or severe depression or have recurrent depression. Currently, the selective serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine; 5-HT) reuptake inhibitors are the first medication choice because of their efficacy, benign adverse effect profile, ease of use and low risk of death following an overdose. Further research in continuation and maintenance treatments, treatment of comorbid conditions, subtypes of depression, e.g. bipolar, atypical, seasonal, and combinations of pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy are needed. In addition, studies of the pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and long term adverse effects of antidepressant medications in children and adolescents are warranted.

Practice parameters for the assessment and treatment of children and adolescents with depressive disorders. AACAP

Child and adolescent major depressive disorder and dysthymic disorder are common, chronic, familial, and recurrent conditions that usually persist into adulthood. These disorders appear to be manifesting at an earlier age in successive cohorts and are usually accompanied by comorbid psychiatric disorders, increased risk for suicide, substance abuse, and behavior problems. In addition, depressed youth frequently have poor psychosocial, academic, and family functioning, which highlights the importance of early identification and prompt treatment. Both psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy have been found to be beneficial for the acute treatment of youth with depressive disorders. Opinions vary regarding which of these treatments should be offered first and whether they should be offered in combination. In general, the choice of initial therapy depends on clinical and psychosocial factors and therapist's expertise. Based on the current literature and clinical experience, psychotherapy may be the first treatment for most depressed youth. However, antidepressants must be considered for those patients with psychosis, bipolar depression, severe depressions, and those who do not respond to an adequate trial of psychotherapy. All patients need continuation therapy and some patients may require maintenance treatment. Further research is needed on the etiology of depression; the efficacy of different types of psychotherapy; the differential effects of psychotherapy, pharmacotherapy, and integrated therapies; the continuation and maintenance treatment phases; treatment for dysthymia, treatment-resistant depression, and other subtypes of major depressive disorder; and preventive strategies for high-risk children and adolescents.

Juvenile mood disorders and office psychopharmacology

Mood disorders afflict pediatric patients, cause significant impairment, and interfere with normal development. Increasingly, pediatricians are called on to assess and collaborate with mental health practitioners in medicating children and adolescents with mood disorders. Approaching the juvenile with a primary emphasis on clarifying the diagnoses, determining environmental antecedents and sequelae, and investigating suicide risk enables the pediatrician to institute appropriate treatment. Despite limited data from controlled studies, psychotherapy often is used for mild to moderate depression. Pharmacotherapy is indicated in cases unresponsive to psychotherapy and in severe or suicidal cases. First-line pharmacotherapy for depressed adolescents is usually an SRI followed by the atypical or TCA antidepressants. Bipolar disorder typically requires an aggressive medication regimen, including anticonvulsants, lithium, or a combination, as well as environmental modifications. With severe, difficult, or refractory cases, mental health consultation is recommended to clarify diagnoses and to provide psychotherapy and medication input.