A clinical trial of AI to treat depression as part of a University of Oxford study

Volunteers are needed for a clinical trial where people suffering from depression will be treated by an AI algorithm.

The Department of Psychiatry at the University of Oxford is currently testing the digital tool known as Petrushka, which it says would help personalize antidepressant treatment.

It uses data from more than a million people and recommends, in real time, the best antidepressants for each individual during a consultation.

The team hopes to recruit around 200 participants by summer.

The trial will involve more than 500 participants in total.

Petrouchka uses each patient’s information, such as age, gender and severity of symptoms, and takes into account side effects.

Researchers say it is an “innovative way to empower patients and share decision-making during the treatment process.”

Chief investigator Professor Andrea Cipriani said: “In real-world practice, antidepressants are usually prescribed based on the clinician’s knowledge.

“There are more than 30 antidepressants on the market, but nine times out of ten, GPs prescribe only one in four antidepressants.

“This means that patients may not receive the treatment that would be most effective or long-lasting for them.

“We want to deal with individuals, not averages.

“We want to be as precise as possible and identify the best treatment for each patient sooner, based on what we know works for patients with similar characteristics, rather than wasting time trying treatments that might be less effective .”

It is also carried out in Canada and Brazil.

Nyla Haque, head of the trial, said: “The study lasts 24 weeks in total, but after eight weeks we will see how many participants are still on the assigned treatment.

“This measurement will tell us how acceptable and well tolerated a treatment is.

“We will also collect information from participants about their mood, anxiety, quality of life and any side effects throughout the duration of the trial.”

The program is funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research.