Active clinical trials for "Depression"

This study seeks to evaluate the implementation of the Managing Cancer and Living Meaningfully (CALM) Program in diverse cultural settings, including its feasibility, fidelity, and acceptability. It will also assess the cross-cultural generalizability of the CALM intervention with a particular focus on patient-reported outcomes with regard to psychological well-being and quality of life.

According to the 2005 National Comorbidity Survey-Replication study, approximately 20.9 million American adults, or 9.5 percent of the population over the age of 18 suffer from mood disorders including major depressive disorder, chronic, mild depression and bipolar disorder. Major depressive disorder (MDD) is predicted to be the second leading cause of disability worldwide by the year 2020; sub-clinical mood disturbances impact many additional people and are a major reason people seek psychotherapy services. The economic burden of depression in the United States is significant: $83.1 billion in 2000 and increasing. Much of this burden comes from the high rate of sub-optimal treatment outcomes associated with the disorder. Indeed, only 50% of MDD patients recover in less than 12 weeks with adequate treatment, and up to 20% of patients will fail to adequately respond to all currently available interventions. Moreover, current treatments come at the cost of significant central nervous system (CNS) side effects, further highlighting the need for more effective treatments with fewer side effects. To address these pressing clinical issues, the investigators will conduct a placebo controlled, clinical trial to determine if Whole Body Hyperthermia (WBH) enhances the effects of psychotherapy compared to psychotherapy alone in medically healthy patients with moderate to severe mood disorders. The investigators plan to recruit a sample of 24 medically healthy individuals with mood problems who will be randomized to examine whether WBH enhances the effects of psychotherapy. To determine acute and sustained effects of WBH +psychotherapy on mood disorders, the study will include basic psychiatric questionnaire-based assessments at three therapy sessions prior to a single session conducted while receiving one of two intensities of WBH treatment. Subjects who elect not to conduct a therapy session in the WBH chamber will still be able to complete study questionnaires at all therapy sessions. This study challenges the existing paradigm by determining if peripheral afferent sensory pathways can be accessed to enhance the treatment of mood disorders and thus avoid problems of exposing all of the brain to non-selective drugs.

This study is looking at the efficacy, rapidity, safety, and tolerability of two doses of oral CERC-501 for treating patients with treatment resistant depression who are taking an antidepressant that is not working for them.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether participation in an Internet-based intervention helps improve medication use.

To assess the efficacy of Omega 3 Fatty acid (Omega 3 FA) augmentation of desvenlafaxine (DVS) compared to placebo augmentation of DVS when used to treat depression and anxiety symptoms in patients with select medical conditions (cancer, cardiovascular diseases and diabetes).

This study investigates the medication isradipine, which is currently approved by the FDA to treat high blood pressure, in the treatment of depression in bipolar disorder. Isradipine or placebo (contains no active medication) will be used as an "add-on" to lithium, valproate, and/or atypical antipsychotics for individuals currently experiencing a major depressive episode. Our hypothesis is that isradipine will be superior to placebo in improving depressive symptoms.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is one of the most common neurological diseases manifested by movement disturbance. The concomitant psychiatric symptoms, especially depression, are often observed and have also great impact on patients' quality of life. The treatment of depressive symptoms in PD with antidepressants as the majority remains variable and inefficient, which complicates the disease prognosis. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive brain modulation technique and has been demonstrated to improve psychiatric diseases such as major depression. In this study the investigators will assess the combined effects of tDCS on sertraline for the treatment of depression in PD. Ten sessions of tDCS in two weeks will be applied and the follow-up evaluation will continue bi-weekly for one month after completing all sessions. The efficacy of tDCS vs sertraline will be compared and evaluated with behavioral and cognitive outcome. In addition, the investigators will evaluate if the baseline dopaminergic activity in brain could predict the treatment outcome by using SPECT imaging. The investigators aim to establish the therapeutic parameters and safety criteria of tDCS as an add-on or alternative therapy, and further enhance the overall clinical efficacy in the treatment of depression in PD.

The purpose of this study is to investigate whether the addition of galantamine to a commonly used antidepressant, escitalopram (Lexapro), will be useful in the treatment of memory and other thinking problems that are frequently seen in depression. At present, galantamine is approved for use in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease or dementia, but not for use for the treatment of depression in younger patients. Possible genetic effects of depressed individuals will also be studied. This study is involved in collecting blood from patients with depression. DNA, the genetic material in our cells, will be obtained from these blood samples. The DNA will be studied to determine the contribution of different genes to the development of depression. These blood samples are extremely useful to researchers who are trying to determine the genetic risk factors that may lead to depression.

Funding: An investigator-initiated trial funded by H. Lundbeck AS. Study design: Prospective, randomised, placebo-controlled parallel-group multicenter study. Aim: To investigate efficacy and side effects (especially mood switches) of escitalopram,a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, in the acute and maintenance treatment of bipolar depression. Hypotheses: Escitalopram, given in addition to mood stabilising medications, is significantly more efficacious, measured by response and remission rates than placebo in bipolar depression (the acute phase study). Continuation therapy with escitalopram gives significantly longer mean time to depressive relapse and fewer depressive relapses compared to placebo (the continuation study). The incidence of "mood switching" (defined as development of mixed episodes, mania, or hypomania according to DSM-IV criteria) do not differ significantly between escitalopram and placebo in either the acute or the continuation phases. Patients: In- and outpatients receiving care in the specialised psychiatric services of Western Norway. The population is intended to be representative of the patients treated for bipolar depression in ordinary specialist care. Patients must have a MADRS score of at least 20 at baseline. Patients with ongoing substance abuse or dependence, organic mental illness, and non-affective psychotic symptoms are excluded. Medication: Escitalopram 10-20 mg daily or placebo in addition to mood stabilisers. The dose of mood stabilisers must have been constant for the last six weeks prior to randomisation. Method: Phase 1 is a eight-week acute treatment trial with six clinical assessments. Patients treated with escitalopram who have not responded after eight weeks (defined by at least 50% reduction of MADRS score compared to baseline) leave the study. Placebo non-responders are treated openly with escitalopram and repeat phase 1. Responders are re-randomised to 32 weeks of maintenance treatment (phase 2). Phase 2 has nine clinical assessments. Patients who develop hypomania, mania or depressive episodes (defined as episodes meeting DSM-IV criteria for Major Depressive Episode with MADRS scores of at least 20 points) leave the study in this phase. Patients leaving the study prematurely will be offered alternative treatment.

This is a 6-week, randomised, multicenter, double-blind, placebo controlled, fixed dose parallel group study to assess the efficacy and safety of orvepitant (30 and 60 mg/day) versus placebo in subjects with a diagnosis of a Major Depressive Disorder, whose symptoms are considered moderate or severe. Following an initial screening visit, subjects fulfilling the study inclusion and exclusion criteria will enter a pre-treatment screening phase to permit evaluation of the laboratory and ECG assessments and to confirm eligibility for inclusion into the study. This screening phase will be a minimum of 7 days, but no longer than 21 days. At the completion of the screening period, eligible subjects will be randomised at the baseline visit to receive either orvepitant 30mg/day, orvepitant 60mg/day or placebo (equal chance of receiving any of the three possible treatments, i.e., a 1:1:1 ratio) for a six-week double-blind treatment phase. Those subjects randomised to receive placebo will receive study medication identical in appearance to that received by subjects assigned to receive orvepitant 30 or 60mg/day. Efficacy will be assessed via standard depression symptom and severity rating scales or questionaires. The Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D) will be used as the primary measure. Secondary efficacy endpoints include the Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology (QIDS-SR) and the Clinical Global Impression- Global Improvement and Severity of Illness Scale (CGI-I and CGI-S, respectively). Safety will be assessed by monitoring for adverse events (side effects) and through periodic laboratory evaluations (blood tests), vital signs assessments (e.g., blood pressure, heart rate, temperature) and heart function measurements (electrocardiograms, or ECGs).