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Newspaper Page Text
16A
December 19, 1996 AUGUSTA FOCUS
Two MCG studies to focus on
improving antidepressant therapy
Improving treatment for the
20 percent to 30 percent of peo
ple who respond slowly or not at
all to antidepressant therapy is
the focus of two new studies at
the Medical College of Georgia.
“We think that these studies
are important because, even
though great advances havebeen
madein the treatment of depres
sion, thereisstill a residual group
that responds very slowly or not
at all to current therapies,” said
Dr. Jeffrey Rausch, vice chair
man of the MCG Department of
Psychiatry and Health Behav
ior.
Dr. Rausch is principal inves
tigator for approximately $1.3
million in National Institutes of
Health grants to MCG to study
this group of patients.
The studies focus on a brain
receptor that helps control the
level of the serotonin, a neu
rotransmitter that enables cells
to communicate. Decreased cell
communication is a factor in cer
tain forms of depression. “Peo
ple can lose their vitality, their
energy, their ability to concen
trate, their interest in sex,” Dr.
Rausch said. “Their appetite can
increase or decrease in lieu of
other interests because of cer
tain patterns of inactivity that
can show up. They can lose their
ability to sleep and develop sui
cidal thoughts as a symptom of
depression.”
The serotonin 1A receptor is a
brain protein that recognizes
serotonin and regulates the fre
quency of serotonin nerve cells
firing. “We think this receptor
may be related tothe delay in the
response to anti-depressant
treatment,” Dr. Rausch said.
“When the anti-depressant is
first given, the firing rate of the
cells may slow down as a com
pensatory reaction of the body to
the presence of the drug. So in
the first few weeks of taking the
drug, you get no net effect. We
have evidence from the laborato
ry that suggests that when peo
ple do respond, this receptor de
sensitizes and allows the cells to
begin firing.”
The new studies will determine
differences between the respond
ers and non-responders as well
as explore novel treatments that
might increase overall response
and/or response time.
Several variations in the gene
coding for the serotonin 1A re
ceptor have been documented.
Now Dr. Rausch wants to know
how many variations are com
monly present in the population
and whether they account for
the variations in response to an
tidepressant therapy.
He’ll use the new drug
ipsapirone — which is in the fi
nal stages of study required for
the Food and Drug Administra
tion approval — as a tool to de
termine the sensitivity of the
serotonin 1A receptor in differ
ent people at different points in
antidepressant treatment.
Body temperatureisthe key to
measuring sensitivity because of
the serotonin cells’ role in regu
lating temperature, Dr. Rausch
said. Serotonin nerve terminals
contain thyroid-releasing hor
mone, the precursor to thyroid
stimulating hormone; thyroid
hormone is involved in heat pro
duction. “If you give doses of
serotonin-releasing drug, you can
see increases in body tempera
ture,” he said.
Ipsapirone turns on the sero
tonin 1A receptor, which tells
the serotonin cells to stop firing,
causing the body temperature to
drop about one degree or so. “We
have found this body tempera
ture response to ipsapirone in
antidepressant responders but
no such change in those who
aren’t responding,” Dr. Rausch
said. /
“What we are after is to try to
use new drug strategies to deter
mineif we can speed up the onset
of action of antidepressants or
increase the proportion of people
responding to antidepressant
drugs. Also we want to deter
mine whether genetic variations
in this receptor might account
for why people respond differ
ently,” he said.
- Patients will get the common
antidepressant Prozac as well as
low doses of ipsapirone before
and after the Prozac to see if it’s
working. He has a highly accu
rate method of measuring body
temperature that will pick up
subtle but significant changes.
. For this study, Dr. Rausch is
looking for 80 patients with ma
jor depression who are candi
dates for therapy. 0t
For a second study, he is look
ing for another 80 patients tak
ing drugs such as Prozac and
Zoloft, designed to improve sero
tonin levels, who are not getting
good results from therapy. These
patients will continue to take an
antidepressant but half of them
also will take a second drug that
blocks the serotonin 1A receptor.
“We may find that by adding a
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second drug which will block the
serotonin 1A receptor, we can
speed up the process of antide
pressant response or convert
antidepressant non-responders
to responders,” Dr. Rausch said.
Pilot studies at MCG indicate
both are possibie.
Formoreinformation about the
study, call Dr. Rausch’s research
coordinator at (706) 721-7835.
AT&T names Rice manager for new office
ATLANTA
AT&T announced that Martha
Rice will assume the position of
operations manager for the new
AT&T Directory Assistance Of
fice that is scheduled to open in
Augustain February. In her new
position, Rice will lead some 500
new employees who will provide
assistance to callers from around
the country.
For the past 10 years Rice has
served as a human resources
manager in AT&T’s Consumer
Services Divisionin Atlanta, and
has received numerous national
awards and recognition for her
managerial accomplishments in
needs analysis, research and
problem-solving. Rice has been
with AT&T for 26 years, starting
as an operator in 1970.
“We'redelighted to have a com
pany with the exceptional integ
rity of AT&T open its innovative
operations center in Metro Au
gusta,” said Marty Blubaugh,
vice president, Economic Devel-
opment/Marketing, Metro Au
gusta Chamber of Commerce.
“And we'’re especially delighted
tohave a professional of Martha’s
calibre become part of our com
munity.”
The AT&T Directory of Assis
tance Center will be located at
2528 Center West Parkway and
is scheduled to open in Febru
ary. Job applications will not be
taken at the center. Applicants
can apply by calling 1-800-505-
2162.
