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NCT Number: NCT07633626

Vortioxetine for Cognitive Function in ALK-positive NSCLC Treated With Lorlatinib

This observational study evaluates whether vortioxetine - an antidepressant medication with cognitive-enhancing properties - can reduce the neurological and cognitive side effects associated with lorlatinib treatment in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) harboring ALK or ROS1 gene rearrangements.

Lorlatinib is a highly effective third-generation tyrosine kinase inhibitor, but it causes neuropsychological adverse events (NAEs) in approximately 42% of patients, including cognitive impairment, mood changes, and speech disturbances. Vortioxetine has demonstrated cognitive improvement in depressed patients and in preclinical models of androgen deprivation therapy-induced cognitive impairment.

Twenty-four adult patients with ALK/ROS1-positive NSCLC receiving lorlatinib as standard care and prescribed vortioxetine (10-20 mg/day) for NAE management will be enrolled. Comprehensive neuropsychological assessments and quality-of-life questionnaires will be conducted at baseline, week 6, week 12, and month 6 to document changes in cognitive function, depressive symptoms, and quality of life.

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Key information

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Histologically confirmed diagnosis of ALK/ROS1-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), stage IIIB/IV.
  • Currently receiving lorlatinib as part of the standard therapeutic regimen.
  • Documented neurocognitive adverse events (NAEs) attributable to lorlatinib.
  • Age >= 18 years.
  • ECOG performance status 0-2.
  • Ability to understand and sign informed consent.
  • Expected survival >= 6 months.
  • Planned initiation of vortioxetine as part of standard care.
  • Ability to complete neuropsychological tests and questionnaires in Spanish.

Exclusion criteria

  • Prior diagnosis of major cognitive impairment unrelated to cancer treatment.
  • Current use of another antidepressant that cannot be discontinued.
  • Uncontrolled major psychiatric disorder.
  • History of uncontrolled epilepsy or recent seizures.
  • Severe hepatic or renal impairment.
  • Known hypersensitivity to vortioxetine.
  • Participation in another clinical trial within the past 30 days.
  • Inability to provide informed consent.
  • Life expectancy < 3 months.
  • Contraindications to vortioxetine (e.g., concomitant MAOI use).
  • Prior vortioxetine use.
  • Severe psychiatric disorders or significant cognitive impairment unrelated to lorlatinib.

Treatment and study plan

Primary outcomes

  1. Psychomotor Speed

    Time frame: Baseline, Week 6, Week 12

    Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST). The DSST measures psychomotor speed and sustained attention. Participants match symbols to digits within a fixed time limit. Score range: 0 to 90 (number of correct substitutions in 90 seconds); higher scores indicate better cognitive performance. Within-subject change from baseline analyzed using ANCOVA.

  2. Processing Speed and Visual Attention

    Time frame: Baseline, Week 6, Week 12

    Trail Making Test Part A (TMT-A). The TMT-A measures processing speed and visual scanning. The outcome is time to completion in seconds; lower scores indicate better performance. Clinically meaningful change assessed using the Reliable Change Index (RCI).

  3. Executive Function and Cognitive Flexibility

    Time frame: Baseline, Week 6, Week 12

    Trail Making Test Part B (TMT-B). The TMT-B measures executive function and set-shifting ability. The outcome is time to completion in seconds; lower scores indicate better performance. Clinically meaningful change assessed using the Reliable Change Index (RCI).

  4. Selective and Sustained Attention

    Time frame: Baseline, Week 6, Week 12

    D2-R Test of Attention. The D2-R Test of Attention measures selective and sustained visual attention. The primary metric is the Total Concentration Performance score (TN-E), calculated as total items processed minus errors. Score range: 0 to 299; higher scores indicate better attentional performance.

  5. Working Memory

    Time frame: Baseline, Week 6, Week 12

    Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale IV (WAIS-IV), Working Memory Index. The WAIS-IV Working Memory Index is a standardized composite score derived from Digit Span and Arithmetic subtests. Score range: 45 to 155 (mean 100, SD 15); higher scores indicate better working memory capacity. Change from baseline analyzed using linear mixed-effects models (LMM).

  6. Processing Speed

    Time frame: Baseline, Week 6, Week 12

    Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale IV (WAIS-IV), Processing Speed Index. The WAIS-IV Processing Speed Index is a standardized composite score derived from Coding and Symbol Search subtests. Score range: 45 to 155 (mean 100, SD 15); higher scores indicate better processing speed. Change from baseline analyzed using LMM.

  7. Verbal Learning and Memory

    Time frame: Baseline, Week 6, Week 12

    California Verbal Learning Test (CVLT). The California Verbal Learning Test measures verbal learning and episodic memory across five immediate recall trials plus short- and long-delay recall. Primary metric: Total Learning Trials 1-5 (score range: 0 to 80); higher scores indicate better verbal memory performance.

  8. Language

    Time frame: Baseline, Week 6, Week 12

    Phonemic Verbal Fluency Task. Phonemic verbal fluency is measured by the total number of words beginning with a specified letter generated in 60 seconds. There is no fixed maximum; higher scores indicate better phonemic language production and frontal-executive function. The average of three letter trials (F, A, S) will be reported.

  9. Language

    Time frame: Baseline, Week 6, Week 12

    Semantic Verbal Fluency Task. Semantic verbal fluency is measured by the total number of words from a specified semantic category generated in 60 seconds. There is no fixed maximum; higher scores indicate better semantic retrieval and language functioning.

  10. Frontal Lobe and Executive Function

    Time frame: Baseline, Week 6, Week 12

    INECO Frontal Screening (IFS). The INECO Frontal Screening (IFS) evaluates frontal lobe functions including motor programming, verbal fluency inhibitory control, working memory, abstraction capacity, and reflex suppression. Score range: 0 to 30; higher scores indicate better executive and frontal lobe functioning.

  11. Subjective Cognitive Complaints

    Time frame: Baseline, Week 6, Week 12

    Perceived Deficits Questionnaire (PDQ), Attention/Concentration Subscore. The PDQ Attention/Concentration subscore measures self-reported cognitive difficulties in attention and concentration. Subscore range: 0 to 20; higher scores indicate greater perceived cognitive impairment. Analyzed using mixed models for repeated measures (MMRM).

  12. Subjective Cognitive Complaints

    Time frame: Baseline, Week 6, Week 12

    Perceived Deficits Questionnaire (PDQ), Planning/Organization Subscore. The PDQ Planning/Organization subscore measures self-reported difficulties in planning and organizational ability. Subscore range: 0 to 20; higher scores indicate greater perceived impairment. Analyzed using MMRM.

  13. Clinical Global Impression of Improvement (CGI-I)

    Time frame: Baseline, Week 6, Week 12

    The Clinical Global Impressions-Improvement scale (CGI-I) is a clinician-rated measure of overall clinical improvement relative to baseline. Score range: 1 (very much improved) to 7 (very much worse); lower scores indicate greater improvement. Response is defined as a score of 1 or 2. Analyzed using MMRM.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Depressive Symptoms

    Time frame: Baseline, Week 6, Week 12, Month 6

    Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS). The MADRS is a clinician-administered scale measuring severity of depressive symptoms across 10 items. Score range: 0 to 60; higher scores indicate greater depression severity. Response defined as >= 50% reduction from baseline; remission defined as score < 10. MCID: >= 50% reduction.

  2. Depressive Symptoms

    Time frame: Baseline, Week 6, Week 12

    Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). The PHQ-9 is a 9-item self-report scale for depression screening and severity assessment. Score range: 0 to 27; higher scores indicate greater depressive symptom burden. Severity categories: minimal (0-4), mild (5-9), moderate (10-14), moderately severe (15-19), severe (20-27). MCID: >= 5-point reduction.

  3. Health-Related Quality of Life

    Time frame: Baseline, Month 1, 2, 3, 6, 12

    36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36), Physical Component Summary (PCS). The SF-36 Physical Component Summary (PCS) is a norm-based composite score derived from four SF-36 subscales (physical functioning, role-physical, bodily pain, general health). Score range: 0 to 100; higher scores indicate better physical health status. MCID: >= 4 points.

  4. Health-Related Quality of Life

    Time frame: Baseline, Month 1, 2, 3, 6, 12

    36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36), Mental Component Summary (MCS). The SF-36 Mental Component Summary (MCS) is a norm-based composite score derived from four SF-36 subscales (vitality, social functioning, role-emotional, mental health). Score range: 0 to 100; higher scores indicate better mental health status. MCID: >= 4 points.

  5. Life Satisfaction

    Time frame: Baseline, Month 1, 2, 3, 6, 12

    Quality of Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction Questionnaire Short Form (Q-LES-Q-SF). The Q-LES-Q-SF measures overall enjoyment and satisfaction with daily life across 14 items rated on a 5-point Likert scale (1 = very poor to 5 = very good). Total score range: 14 to 70; higher scores indicate greater life satisfaction. Items 15 and 16 are scored separately and not included in the total. MCID: >= 9 points.

  6. Health Utility

    Time frame: Baseline, Month 1, Month 2, Month 3, Month 6, Month 12

    EuroQol 5-Dimension Questionnaire (EQ-5D), Utility Index. The EQ-5D utility index is derived from five health dimensions (mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain/discomfort, anxiety/depression) using the Spanish value set. Score range: -0.654 to 1.0; higher scores indicate better health utility (1.0 = full health, 0 = death). MCID: >= 0.1.

  7. Self-Rated Health

    Time frame: Baseline, Month 1, Month 2, Month 3, Month 6, Month 12

    EuroQol Visual Analogue Scale (EQ-VAS). The EQ-VAS is a vertical visual analogue scale for overall self-rated health. Score range: 0 to 100; higher scores indicate better self-rated health (100 = best imaginable health state). MCID: >= 7 points.

  8. Functional Capacity

    Time frame: Baseline, Week 6, Week 12

    University of California San Diego Performance-Based Skills Assessment (UPSA), Composite Score. The UPSA composite score combines the UPSA-VIM and UPSA-Brief to measure real-world functional capacity across domains including finance and communication. Score range: 0 to 100; higher scores indicate better functional performance. Analyzed using ANCOVA.

  9. Work Limitations

    Time frame: Baseline, Week 6, Week 12, Month 6

    Work Limitations Questionnaire (WLQ). The WLQ measures the degree to which health problems interfere with job performance across four scales: time management, physical demands, mental-interpersonal demands, and output demands. Each scale is scored 0 to 100; higher scores indicate greater work limitation. An overall WLQ productivity loss score will also be reported.

  10. Cognitive and Physical Functioning

    Time frame: Baseline, Week 6, Week 12

    Cognitive and Physical Functioning Questionnaire (CPFQ). The CPFQ is a 7-item self-report instrument measuring cognitive and physical energy symptoms relevant to depression and related conditions. Score range: 7 to 42; higher scores indicate greater cognitive and physical impairment. Analyzed only in participants with a baseline score > 25.

  11. Tumor Response to Lorlatinib

    Time frame: Month 2, Month 6, Month 12

    Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST 1.1). Tumor response is assessed by contrast-enhanced CT scan per RECIST version 1.1 criteria. Response is classified as: Complete Response (CR), Partial Response (PR), Stable Disease (SD), or Progressive Disease (PD). Best overall response will be documented for each participant.

  12. Adverse Events

    Time frame: All scheduled visits, from baseline through 30 days post-last visit

    Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE), Version 5.0. All adverse events (AEs) will be graded by type, severity (Grade 1: mild; Grade 2: moderate; Grade 3: severe; Grade 4: life-threatening; Grade 5: death), and causality attribution (unrelated / unlikely / possible / probable / definitely related to vortioxetine). Predefined study suspension thresholds: > 25% Grade 3, > 10% Grade 4, or > 3% Grade 5 AEs attributable to vortioxetine.

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Felipe Canro, MD

CONTACT

[email protected]

+57 310 8593083

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Centro de Tratamiento e Investigación sobre Cáncer, Luis Carlos Sarmiento Angulo

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Potential Effect of Vortioxetine on Cognitive Functioning of Patients With ALK-positive Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Treated With Lorlatinib

Important dates

Study start
2026
Primary completion
2027
Study completion
2027
First posted
Jun 8, 2026
Registry last updated
Jun 8, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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