Active clinical trials for "Depression"

The neuropeptide Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase Activating Polypeptide (PACAP) and its receptors PAC1 and VPAC2 are widely expressed in the nervous system. The investigators found that PACAP treatment of neuronal cell cultures increases expression of Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) that plays an important role in the etiology of psychiatric disorders and action of antidepressants. For the first time, the investigators demonstrated that treatment by Paroxetine and Citalopram significantly decreases PAC1 and VPAC2 and upregulates PACAP mRNA expression, whereas Imipramine shows an opposite effect. Moreover, PACAP, PAC1 and VPAC2 expression is highly correlated with BDNF expression. Their in vivo studies show that Imipramine reduces BDNF and increases PAC1 mRNA expression in murine hippocampus, suggesting that antidepressants may affect neuronal plasticity through PACAP-BDNF interactions. Based on their observations in experimental systems, the investigators hypothesize that PACAP signaling system may be involved in the etiology of depression and mechanism of antidepressant action. The investigators will evaluate this hypothesis by examining serum PACAP levels, effect of antidepressants on PACAP levels, and gene polymorphisms of PACAP and its receptors in major depressive disorder patients. This study will enhance the investigators' understanding of PACAP's role in the etiology of depression and antidepressant treatment and will provide a basis to evaluate PACAP pathway as a potential target for diagnostics and novel antidepressants drug discovery.

RATIONALE: Mindful movement is a self-directed activity of mindfulness (intention, attention, and attitude) and physical movement. A mindful movement program may be effective in improving well-being in older women who are breast cancer survivors. PURPOSE: This randomized clinical trial is studying how well a mindful movement program works in improving quality of life in older female breast cancer survivors.

RATIONALE: Yoga may improve inflammation, fatigue, and depression in female breast cancer survivors. PURPOSE: This randomized clinical trial is studying how well Hatha yoga works in improving physical activity, inflammation, fatigue, and distress in female breast cancer survivors.

This research is being done to study the psychological effects of psilocybin in cancer patients. Psilocybin is a naturally occurring substance found in some mushrooms that some cultures have used for centuries in religious practices.

This study is one component of a larger U01 grant that was submitted in August, 2004 to the NIGMS as part of the Pharmacogenomic Research Network. This study will enroll 1200 patients over 4 years. It is known that functionally significant genetic polymorphisms for the cytochrome P450 (CYPs) can contribute to individual differences in response to specific selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). However, a better understanding of the pharmacogenomics of both PK and PD for SSRI antidepressants will inform clinical practice. Therefore, we propose to evaluate the contribution of pharmacogenomics to variation in response to the highly specific SSRIs citalopram (a racemic mixture) and escitalopram (a chiral compound containing the active S-isomer of citalopram ) by correlating both PK and PD variation for these agents with intragene haplotypes in genes encoding proteins involved in citalopram metabolism, as well as central nervous system (CNS) pathways for monoamine neurotransmitter biosynthesis, metabolism, storage, release, reuptake, and receptors. In the future this "candidate pathway" intragene haplotype genotyping strategy will also be complemented by the application of genome-wide screens performed with DNA from subjects with extreme phenotypes for response to citalopram. Phenotypes to be measured before and after the initiation of citalopram or escitalopram therapy will include determinations of serum citalopram and metabolite concentrations, treatment response as measured by Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression indices, and number and severity of side effects as determined by structured questionnaires. The hypothesis to be tested is that inherited variation in citalopram metabolism and transport (PK) and/or PD variation as a result of inherited variation in monoamine neurotransmitter biosynthesis, metabolism, reuptake, storage, receptors or signaling contribute to individual variation in citalopram antidepressant efficacy and/or side effects.

RATIONALE: Healing touch therapy may be effective in lessening fatigue in women with breast cancer who are undergoing radiation therapy. PURPOSE: This randomized clinical trial is studying how well healing touch works in treating fatigue in women undergoing radiation therapy for breast cancer.

RATIONALE: Acupuncture may help relieve muscle and bone pain caused by aromatase inhibitor therapy, such as letrozole, exemestane, and anastrozole. PURPOSE: This randomized phase II trial is studying acupuncture to see how well it works in reducing muscle and bone symptoms in women receiving letrozole, exemestane, or anastrozole for stage 0, stage I, stage II, or stage III breast cancer.

Depressive symptoms are highly prevalent in the population. According to data from a Zurich longitudinal study, the lifetime incidence rate for severe depressive symptoms is 95%. Not all persons with depressive symptoms, however, need psychotherapeutic, psychiatric or pharmaceutical treatment. Many people specifically or unspecifically use music to influence their mood and clinical evidence demonstrates that active involvement in music supports an individual's treatment success during psychiatric therapy. The gray area of depressive symptoms that do not require medical treatment, but which contribute to a considerable disturbance of an individual's quality of life and ability to work, is the focus of the proposed study. The study investigates whether listening to specific music programs arranged to influence depressive symptoms for 30 minutes in the morning and 30 minutes in the evenings can result in improvement of an individual's symptoms, as compared to listening to no prescribed music or no music treatment at all. Of specific interest is the use of music in the evening, which may contribute to the achievement of restive sleep. The study's objective is to determine if the utilization of two specific music therapies to treat depressive symptoms, compared to a waiting list control intervention and an intervention listening to Mozart over a 5 week period, leads to an improvement of the depressive pathology among patients with moderate depressive disorders or patients with dysthymia. The study is designed as a simple blinded placebo-controlled study.

Objectives: To determine whether paroxetine can prevent major depression in patients with hepatitis C (HCV) who are receiving pegylated-interferon (Peg-IFN). To determine whether paroxetine can prevent subsyndromal increases in depression and anxiety in patients with HCV who are receiving Peg-IFN. To determine whether paroxetine can prevent a significant change in the health related quality of life in patients with HCV who are receiving Peg-IFN. To determine whether paroxetine improves compliance with Peg-IFN therapy for HCV. To determine whether paroxetine enables patients to complete Peg-IFN therapy for HCV who might otherwise require a dose reduction or discontinuation because of neuropsychiatric side effects.

Depressive disorders may be severe, chronic and often life-threatening illnesses. Impairment in physical and social functioning resulting from depression can be just as severe as other chronic medical illnesses. Recent preclinical and clinical studies suggest that the glutamatergic system is involved in the mechanism of action of antidepressants. This study examines whether ketamine can cause a rapid-next day antidepressant effect in patients with Major Depressive Disorder. This study was designed to address the questions: Does the NMDA antagonist ketamine produce rapid antidepressant effects in patients with treatment-resistant major depression? What are the neurobiological correlates of antidepressant response (examining multi-modal MRI, MEG, polysomnography and serum markers) Patients, ages 18 to 65 years with treatment-resistant major (unipolar) depression will in a double-blind crossover study receive either intravenous ketamine or saline solution.