Active clinical trials for "Depressive Disorder, Major"

Background: - Studies have shown that inflammation plays an important role in depression. Brain inflammation may contribute to depression, and may make it more difficult to treat some kinds of depression with current therapies. Researchers want to use magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET) scanning to study inflammation in the brain. To do so, they will use a contrast agent, which is a chemical that can show inflammation during an imaging study. Objectives: - To see if people with major depressive disorder have increased inflammation in the brain. Eligibility: - Individuals at least 18 years of age who have major depressive disorder. Design: Participants will be screened with a physical exam and medical history. They will provide blood samples before the scanning sessions. Participants will have a PET scan after the screening visit. They will have a dose of the contrast agent before the study. This scan will look for possible brain inflammation. Participants will also have an MRI scan. This scan will take pictures of the brain for comparison studies. Treatment will not be provided as part of this study.

The overall aim of this study is to utilize an integrative research model in order to dynamically assess reward-related dopamine (DA) transmission in major depressive disorder (MDD) and test the role of dysfunctional DA release in depression and anhedonia. The first arm of this line of research (PET scan) aims to investigate phasic DA release in MDD during incentive motivation. The investigators will utilize an established molecular imaging technique to measure striatal DA release dynamically during performance of testing and control versions of a monetary incentive delay task, which involves anticipation and receipt of monetary rewards. In doing so, this experiment will link together independent lines of research that have associated depression with decreased hedonic responsiveness, impaired reinforcement learning and dysfunctional DA transmission. We hypothesize that, relative to matched controls, unmedicated MDD subjects will show reduced reward-related ligand (11C-raclopride) displacement. Reduced ligand displacement will be interpreted as indicating reduced task-induced release of endogenous striatal DA in response to reward-predicting cues and unpredictable reward in MDD subjects. In the second arm of this research (EEG recording), the investigators aim to probe the spatio-temporal dynamics of brain mechanisms underlying positive and negative reinforcement learning in MDD and their relations to phasic DA. Participants will perform the probabilistic stimulus selection task (PSST) while event-related potentials (ERPs) are collected. The investigators expect that, relative to matched controls, unmedicated MDD subjects will show reduced positive reinforcement learning, potentiated negative reinforcement learning, and larger (i.e., more negative) feedback-related negativity (FRN) in response to positive reinforcement (indicative of reduced DA transmission). Moreover, the investigators hypothesize that a more negative FRN in response to positive reinforcement will be associated with decreased striatal raclopride displacement (i.e., lower release of endogenous DA) as measured by PET in the first part of the study. This experiment will investigate the effects of blunted DA transmission on behavioral and ERP markers of both positive and negative reinforcement learning.

The study will only detect hypomanic symptoms in treatment resistant MDD patients by mean of HCL-32 administration. Further re-evaluation of MDD diagnosis is not a direct aim of the study. No efficacy and tolerability of pharmacological treatments will be assessed. Patients matching inclusion and exclusion criteria will be enrolled consecutively; each investigator will include the first 10 to 40 patients that will be visited as treatment resistant MDD.

The purpose of this study is to assess the effectiveness of systematic screening for depression in high-risk patient participants in everyday clinical practice. Systematic screening for depression in high-risk patients is recommended to be included as a usual practice but its effectiveness in this context remains controversial. In this study, 35 primary care physicians (PCPs) in Spain were assigned to intervention (receive one day training in depression screening guidelines and use guidelines for six months) and 34 PCPs were assigned to a control group (manage depression in the usual way for six months). There were a total of 525 patient participants with MDD.

Depression and unrefreshed sleep are frequent in patients with fibromyalgia. Agomelatine is a new antidepressant with sleep-promoting properties. The objective of this study include the assessment of agomelatine therapy in patients with depression and fibromyalgia both on the severity of depressive symptomatology and sleep quality.

The purpose of this study is to adapt depression treatment intervention for HIV patients in Cameroon. The PI will validate a depression severity measure, adapt key elements of the intervention to the Cameroon context, train nurses and physicians to carry out the intervention, and examine preliminary outcomes. Participants: Aim 1: Hospital and clinic patients, visitors, health care workers. Aim 2: No participants. Aim 3: HIV-infected patients. Procedures (methods): Survey instruments and ARV treatment.

The study will investigate functional and metabolic changes in the course of antidepressive treatments. The investigators will apply different imaging methods to investigate the effects of antidepressive interventions on resting state neural activity, functional activation during cognitive and emotional stimulation, neurotransmitter concentrations as well as concentrations of brain- derived neurotrophic factor.

The goal of this observational study is to learn about how Pristiq is currently being used in general practice and how psychiatrists and primary care physicians currently perceive Pristiq in terms of efficacy, tolerability, and adherence compared to other treatments for major depressive disorder (MDD).

The purpose of this study is to get a better understanding of the side effect burden and identify predictors of psychotic, mood and aggressive disorders in children and adolescents. The study's primary aim is to identify genetic risk factors for weight gain and metabolic abnormalities.

The main objective is to compare the physiological reactivity (heart and respiratory rates, galvanic skin response, cerebral perfusion, and startle) in the three phases of emotion between depressive subjects, subjects remitted from depression and control subjects.