Active clinical trials for "Depressive Disorder, Major"

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.

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 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 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.

The primary objective of this study is to measure the effects of patient cost-sharing on the initiation of adjunctive treatment and subsequent healthcare utilization and expenditures among a population of commercially insured adults on antidepressant therapy.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate alterations in sympathetic tone in patients with major depression with and without ischemic heart disease and then to reevaluate these patients after 8 treatments with electroconvulsive therapy(ECT). We expect to support the hypothesis that HRV are pathophysiologically associated with the state of major depression. We hypothesize the following: Heart rate variability (HRV) will be decreased prior to treatment of depression in comparison to post-treatment measures of HRV. After 8 treatments with ECT, HRV will be increased under basal conditions.

Clinical practice indicates that Quetiapine has sedating properties, and its sedative effects may play an important role in restoring quality of sleep in patients with various psychiatric conditions who frequently experience sleep disturbances as part of their illness. It is well known that depressive disorders are very frequently associated with significant sleep disturbance. Sleep disruption is a feature of Bipolar Disorder during both Depressed and Manic/Hypomanic episodes. Considering that Seroquel has good antidepressant properties (Calabrese, 2004), the investigators suggest that Seroquel's effect on sleep architecture contributes to its antidepressant properties.

This study will use magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to examine how the brain regulates emotions in healthy people and in patients who have major depression and anhedonia (loss of feeling of pleasure in things that normally give pleasure). Healthy normal volunteers and patients between 18 and 50 years of age with major depression, with or without significant anhedonia, are eligible for this study. Candidates will be screened with a psychiatric interview, a physical examination that will include blood and urine samples, and an electrocardiogram, and a questionnaire about their emotions. Participants will perform a monetary reward task while lying in an MRI scanner. The task is similar to playing a computer video game with the possibility of winning cash. The amount of cash is largely dependent on the subject's performance. The accumulated amount of cash earned in a session will fluctuate depending on the subject's continuing performance level. That is, during a single session, a subject could lose money earned early in the session if his or her performance later in the session is not as good as earlier. MRI pictures will be taken during performance of the task. MRI uses a magnetic field and radio waves to produce images of body tissues and organs. The patient lies on a table that is moved into the scanner (a narrow cylinder) and wears earplugs to muffle loud knocking and thumping sounds that occur during the scanning process. The procedure will last about 1 to 1-1/2 hours.

Serotonin is a chemical involved in regulation of emotions, anxiety, sleep, stress hormones, and other body functions. The purpose of this study is to use a procedure called tryptophan depletion to study the function of serotonin in people with depression and in healthy volunteers. Major depressive disorder (MDD) has been associated with reduced functioning of central serotonergic systems. Tryptophan depletion (TD) is a procedure used to investigate the relationship between serotonergic function and depression. Evidence suggests that the mood lowering effects of TD depend upon family history and differences in genes for a specific protein called 5-HTTLPR. Healthy females with a particular gene for 5-HTTLPR and a family history of mood disorders appear to be at a greater risk for the development of depressive symptoms during TD. This study will use positron emission tomography (PET) scans of the brain to investigate the effect of variant 5-HTTLPR genotypes on response to TD. The relationship between 5-HTTLPR genotypes and the effect of TD on brain activity in individuals with different 5-HTTLPR genes will be determined. This study will also examine how the reduced serotonin function that occurs in MDD affects the brain's response to sensory stimulation. Participants in this study will be screened by telephone about their psychiatric and medical history, current emotional state, anxiety and sleep patterns, and family history of psychiatric disorders. At study entry, participants will have an interview, physical examination, electrocardiogram (EKG), and blood and laboratory tests. Menstruating women will have a pregnancy test and tests to determine menstrual phase and time of ovulation. At the second clinic visit, participants will undergo tests of intelligence and cognitive abilities and a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan of the brain. Prior to Visits 3 and 4, participants will collect their saliva and urine. Menstruating women will have a pregnancy test. At Visits 3 and 4, participants will undergo TD studies and PET scanning. During one of these visits, participants will take capsules of an amino acid. On the other day, they will take lactose capsules. Throughout the study, participants will be asked about their emotional state, anxiety, ability to concentrate, and well being. ...