title: Sadness and mild cognitive impairment as predictors for interferon-alpha-induced depression in patients with hepatitis C.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Antiviral therapy with interferon-alpha (IFN-α) for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is associated with increased risk for depression.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To identify clinical predictors for IFN-α-induced depression during antiviral therapy for HCV infection.
  
  
  METHODS
  Depression (defined with the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS)) was evaluated before and during antiviral treatment in 91 people with chronic HCV infection without a history of psychiatric disorders. Cognitive function was evaluated using the Trail Making Test A/B (TMT A/B). (Trial registration at ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT00136318.)
  
  
  RESULTS
  Depression during antiviral therapy was significantly associated with a baseline MADRS score of 3 or higher (P = 0.006). In total, 89% (n = 16) of patients who had a baseline score >0 for the single item sadness developed depression. Poor baseline performance in the TMT A (P = 0.027) and TMT B (P = 0.033) was predictive for severe depression.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pre-treatment screening for subthreshold depressive and cognitive symptoms will help to identify those at risk for IFN-α-associated depression among patients with chronic hepatitis C.
authors.affiliation: Susanne Sarkar, PhD, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Charité, Mitte, Berlin, and Department and Outpatient Clinic of Medical Psychology, Center of Psychosocial Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg; Rahul Sarkar, MD, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Asklepios Westklinikum Hamburg-Klinikum, Hamburg; Thomas Berg, MD, Department of Gastroenterology und Rheumatology, Section of Hepatology, Universitätsklinikum, Leipzig; Martin Schaefer, MD, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Charité, Mitte, Berlin, and Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Addiction Medicine, Kliniken Essen-Mitte, Essen, Germany.
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sarkar
authors.affiliation: Susanne Sarkar, PhD, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Charité, Mitte, Berlin, and Department and Outpatient Clinic of Medical Psychology, Center of Psychosocial Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg; Rahul Sarkar, MD, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Asklepios Westklinikum Hamburg-Klinikum, Hamburg; Thomas Berg, MD, Department of Gastroenterology und Rheumatology, Section of Hepatology, Universitätsklinikum, Leipzig; Martin Schaefer, MD, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Charité, Mitte, Berlin, and Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Addiction Medicine, Kliniken Essen-Mitte, Essen, Germany.
authors.forename: Rahul
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sarkar
authors.affiliation: Susanne Sarkar, PhD, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Charité, Mitte, Berlin, and Department and Outpatient Clinic of Medical Psychology, Center of Psychosocial Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg; Rahul Sarkar, MD, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Asklepios Westklinikum Hamburg-Klinikum, Hamburg; Thomas Berg, MD, Department of Gastroenterology und Rheumatology, Section of Hepatology, Universitätsklinikum, Leipzig; Martin Schaefer, MD, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Charité, Mitte, Berlin, and Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Addiction Medicine, Kliniken Essen-Mitte, Essen, Germany.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Berg
authors.affiliation: Susanne Sarkar, PhD, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Charité, Mitte, Berlin, and Department and Outpatient Clinic of Medical Psychology, Center of Psychosocial Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg; Rahul Sarkar, MD, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Asklepios Westklinikum Hamburg-Klinikum, Hamburg; Thomas Berg, MD, Department of Gastroenterology und Rheumatology, Section of Hepatology, Universitätsklinikum, Leipzig; Martin Schaefer, MD, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Charité, Mitte, Berlin, and Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Addiction Medicine, Kliniken Essen-Mitte, Essen, Germany.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schaefer
mesh_terms: D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D060825:Cognitive Dysfunction / Q000150:complications*; D003863:Depression / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000150:complications*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D016898:Interferon-alpha