"It was capturing something unique" that the symptom-based QIDS and HAM-D scores missed, Dr. Zimmerman said. "Depressed patients’ perspective of remission goes beyond symptom resolution."
He is hopeful that the concept of remission is evolving, because outcomes in treatment trials increasingly are not being measured just in terms of symptom status alone. Investigators have begun to look at aspects of function and, less frequently, at quality of life, he said.
Dr. Zimmerman hopes to study whether a broader-based measure of remission, such as the RDQ, better predicts which patients are likely to relapse, compared with conventional remission measures. Another study could look at whether the RDQ is a superior outcome measure when treatment de-emphasizes symptomatic improvement, and instead focuses on functional improvement and quality of life, he said.
Dr. Zimmerman’s research was funded by Eli Lilly. He also reported financial associations with Bristol-Myers Squibb.
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