Active clinical trials for "Depression"

The purpose of the funded study is to determine a) examine associations among OT levels, stress, trauma history, PPD, and lactation failure in the full 60-subject sample and assess whether there are differences between immigrant women and non-immigrant Latina women on these measures; b) quantify whether there is a correlation between ACTH, cortisol, and PPD and whether there are differences between immigrant and non-immigrant Latina women; and c) assess the feasibility of enrolling Latinas into a laboratory-based study that includes the collection of venous blood for measurement of oxytocin, ACTH, and cortisol. Sixty prenatal (34 to 37 weeks) Latinas (30 immigrants and 30 U.S.-born) who are between the ages of 18 and 45 will be enrolled. Women with a singleton pregnancy who are Latina, who intend to breastfeed for more than 2 months, who have or do not have a history of depression, and who are willing to be followed for 8 weeks after delivery will be enrolled in the study. Latinas who report maternal or infant disorder that may interfere with breastfeeding; those who endorse substance use, and/or who have or have had a psychiatric disorder (e.g., psychosis or serious personality disorders) other than depression or anxiety will be excluded to minimize risk and confounds with the outcomes of interest.

The aim of this study is to evaluate quality of life (QOL) and depression in peritoneal dialysis patients compare to hemodialysis patients and assess hydration effect on QOL and depression over time.

Objective: To evaluate whether or not cases treated with Intensive Short-term Dynamic Psychotherapy (ISTDP) facilitate healthcare cost reduction, whether any observed reduction is greater than that of a control group and whether any such gains would be maintained in follow up. Design: A quasi-experimental design was employed in which pre and post healthcare cost and usage data were extracted for all ISTDP treated cases from 1999 to 2008 and compared to parallel measures of a control group of cases referred but never treated.

The investigators aim to: Estimate the prevalence of depression in a consecutive cohort of Chinese patients diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) living in areas of China with different socioeconomical affluence Examine patients' awareness of the frequent coexistence of these 2 conditions Analyze the associations between depression and T2D, in particularly the role of metabolic control, socioeconomical status and cognitive-psychological-behavioral factors To document the predisposing, precipitating and perpetuating factors for depression and their interrelationships in Chinese type 2 diabetic patients

The focus of this secondary data analysis is to determine whether pain due to a combination of both cardiac and non cardiac sources operates as a mediator of behavior change, an area that has not been previously evaluated.

This is a study investigating the hormones and substances important to the stress response. The hormone that is most directly responsible for stress response is called corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH). CRH is produced in the hypothalamus of the brain and causes the pituitary gland to produce another hormone called ACTH. The hormone ACTH then acts on the adrenal glands causing them to produce the hormone cortisol. Unfortunately, CRH levels are unable to be measured in simple blood samples. However, substances like cortisol and leptin can provide information as to the activity of the hypothalamus. The hormone leptin is associated with the regulation of body weight and the normal maintenance of bodily functions (homeostasis). It is found in fat cell (adipocyes) and communicates the nutritional status of the body to the brain (central nervous system). Research using animals has shown that defects in the communication between leptin and the brain causes obesity (the state of being overweight). It has also been noted that obese humans tend to have high levels of leptin. By studying patients with abnormal genes responsible for leptin production, researchers have found that a least one leptin gene must be intact for the normal secretion of hormones to proceed. These results show that the hormone leptin is produced outside of the brain in fat cells and acts directly on the function of the hypothalamus within the brain. Researchers believe that leptin plays a key role in the normal release of hormones from the HPA axis. Researchers intend on continuing to study the role of leptin in fat distribution, and the activity of the HPA axis in normal volunteers. In addition, this study will focus on the role of leptin in depression, because depression is characterized by changes in food intake, body weight, and neuroendocrine function. Data gathered from this study will provide a better understanding of the causes and medical consequences of major depression.

Investigators are evaluating the use of phone sensor data to estimate behavior, depression and anxiety.

The purpose of this study is to define subgroups of patients with somatoform disorders due to DSM-IV by immunological, psychological and genetic characterization.

Cognitive deficits in major depression seem explicable by the well-recognized concept of impaired neuroplasticity in mood disorders. This concept initially emerged from preclinical evidence that antidepressants phosphorylate and therefore activate the cyclic AMP response element binding protein (CREB) that is essential for synaptic plasticity. Nevertheless, the question remains whether the activation of CREB by antidepressants is relevant for the remission of cognitive deficits in patients. We addressed this issue by investigating the cognitive improvement during treatment with either citalopram or reboxetine because these antidepressants are different in their capacity to increase phosphorylated CREB (pCREB). Besides the pharmacological treatment groups, another group of patients was treated exclusively with psychotherapy.

This study will evaluate a possible tool for predicting future effectiveness of bright light in treating seasonal affective disorder, winter subtype, and will examine secondary effects of bright light on cardiovascular risk factors.