Active clinical trials for "Depression"

There is good evidence to suggest that the pathological version of sadness that people with Major Depression experience could be caused by the failure of the hormone cortisol to properly inhibit sadness-related brain activity in the subgenual cingulate cortex. This project investigates if the subgenual cingulate cortex has become insensitive to cortisol in patients with depression and tests for variants of the cortisol receptor genes that could predispose individuals to develop cortisol insensitivity.

The objectives of this project are to determine if the bioavailability and release pattern of bupropion HCl products differ and if the genotype of the metabolic enzymes affects the saturation of intestinal enzymes with different dose strengths within one product line. Findings from this project will help the FDA Center for Drug Evaluation and Research's (CDER) Office of Generic Drugs improve policy development and review practice in the future for similar products, e.g. extended release oral drug products being metabolized in the gut wall and having multiple strengths. Aim 1: To compare the pharmacokinetics of bupropion and its metabolites in plasma in healthy individuals when they ingest different strengths of bupropion (75-300 mg) with variable release profiles (IR vs XL vs SR) in GI tract. Working hypothesis: Variation in release rate and mechanism of bupropion formulations in gastrointestinal (GI) tract will impact metabolism and saturation of bupropion in GI tract, which will generate different concentration of bupropion and its metabolites in plasma. Aim 2: To investigate pharmacogenomics of CYP 2B6 that influences metabolism, saturation, and pharmacokinetics of bupropion Working hypothesis: The gain of function of CYP2B6 variants (allele *4 and *22) in patients will increase the metabolism of bupropion in the GI tract and liver, reduce both local concentration and plasma concentration of bupropion, and thus cause non-bioequivalence when bupropion is released earlier in GI tract

The hypotheses were as follows: H1. Women at low-moderate risk for APD at T1 (baseline EPDS scores of 5-9) in the cognitive behavioral intervention (CBI) group will maintain low-moderate risk status and have significantly fewer APD symptoms at T2 and T3 than women at low-moderate risk for APD in the (TAU) control group (as measured by percent of participants with EPDS scores <9 at T2 and T3 and mean score changes). H2: Women at high risk for APD at T1 (baseline EPDS scores ≥10) in the CBI group will have a significantly greater reduction in APD symptoms at T2 and T3 than women at high risk for APD in the TAU control group (as measured by percent of participants with EPDS scores <10 at T2 and T3 and mean score changes).

Depression is a debilitating illness with a risk of developing a treatment resistant form. Currently, diagnosis is purely clinical with little features available to identify potentially adverse developments. Clinical features such as early onset age, prolonged episodes, anxiety, somatic symptoms and apathy are all arguments raising fears the onset of resistance to conventional treatments. According to neuroimaging knowledge about the pathophysiological mechanisms, involving front-limbic functional networks supporting the functions of emotional regulation and reward system, recent work has focused on the identification of neuroimaging biomarkers predicting therapeutic response. Among the regions of interest identified, the anterior cingulate cortex, amygdala, hippocampus, and regions participating in the Default Mode Network Training (Medial prefrontal cortex, posterior cingulate cortex, inferior parietal lobe) are most frequently areas associated with the prediction of therapeutic response. Limitations most reported in these studies are the heterogeneity of experimental paradigms (resting state, cognitive or emotional functional tasks), imaging (PET scan, MRI) the heterogeneity of clinical resistance criteria forms studied, different techniques (as that we consider remission (threshold score) or response (50% decrease from baseline score), and the sample size. Knowing that MRI into daily clinical practice in the SHU of Adult Psychiatry, as the balance sheet of the disease, monitoring its evolution, as in assumption rTMS (repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation) (pretreatment assessment and neuro), the identification of neuroimaging biomarkers in a population of patients with clinical criteria of Mood Depressive Episode, with an acquisition of identical and reproducible image daily routine methodology appears to be a reliable way to correct the heterogeneity of conventionally published studies on the topic. This study aim to identify, in routine care, predictive clinical and neuroimaging markers of poor outcome in major depressive disorder.

Context - As men age, testosterone levels decline leading to symptoms that overlap with the symptoms of major depression. Little is known about the potential role of testosterone in the treatment of major depression.Objective - To assess the levels of bioavailable testosterone and total levels of testosterone in men diagnosed with major depressive disorder between the ages of 40 and 65.Design, Setting and Participants - 50 men between the ages of 40 and 65 and who suffer from major depressive disorder will be compared with 50 age matched healthy controls in an outpatient hospital setting. Main Outcome Measures - Bioavailable testosterone and total testosterone levels will be measured as well as blood pressure, pulse rate, height, weight, waist and hip measurements. Medical and psychiatric history will be assessed by the study physician. The Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) will be used to administered by the physician to ensure that the patient meets the DSM-IV criteria for Major Depression. The Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D-17) will be used to assess depression symptom severity. A Symptom/Side Effect Rating Scale will also be administered to measure the presence and severity of side effects that each patient may be experiencing. In addition, the SEX FX questionnaire will be administered. Each patient will be asked to complete a series of self-report measures including the Social Adaptation Self-Evaluation Scale Questionnaire (SASS), the Androgen Deficiency in Aging Males (ADAM) and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II).

The increase in life expectancy in the 21st century has resulted in a major growth in the prevalence of age-related diseases and conditions. Depression has been found to be the most prevalent among the various mental disorders in later life. It was emphasized that depression in the elderly is a persistent or recurrent disorder resulting from psychosocial stress or physiologic effects of disease and can lead to disability, cognitive impairments, intensified symptoms of other medical conditions and increased utilization of health care services. Due to the rapidly aging population, depression is a serious public health concern that has a great impact on quality of life and may lay a considerable burden on the health care systems. However depression among the elderly may prove to be hard to diagnose since in aged persons depressive symptoms are often masked by somatic complaints or by cognitive impairments. Consequently depression is often under diagnosed and the patients continue to visit constantly the nurse or the physician without getting an adequate answer to their problem. For that reason over utilization of health care services may be an indicator to the presence of undiagnosed depression. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationships between socio-demographic variables, high primary care utilization and depressive symptomatology among aged patients.

This study will investigate how the brain process emotions in healthy people and in patients who have major depression in order to better understand the causes of depression. It will examine what happens in the brain when a person responds to words related to different emotions while the brain's ability to manufacture a chemical called serotonin is reduced. Serotonin regulates functions such as emotion, anxiety and sleep, and stress hormones such as cortisol. In this study, participants' serotonin levels are reduced by depleting tryptophan, an amino acid that is the main building block for serotonin. Healthy volunteers and patients with major depression that has been in remission for at least 3 months may be eligible for this study. Candidates must be between 18 and 50 years of age and right-handed. They are interviewed about their medical and psychiatric history, current emotional state and sleep pattern, and family history of psychiatric disorders. Screening also includes psychiatric interviews and rating scales, neuropsychological tests, physical examination, electrocardiogram (EKG), and blood, urine, and saliva tests. Women have their menstrual phase determined by a blood test and home urine ovulation test kit. The study involves two clinic visits in which participants undergo tryptophan depletion and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Subjects arrive at the NIH Clinical Center in the morning after fasting overnight. They fill out questionnaires have a blood sample drawn, and then take 74 capsules that contain a mixture of amino acids found in the diet. At one visit they are given capsules that contain a balanced mixture of amino acids one would normally eat in a day; at the other visit, some of the capsules contain lactose instead of tryptophan, causing tryptophan depletion. At 2 p.m. participants fill out the same questionnaires they completed at the beginning of the day and have another blood sample drawn. Then they do a computerized test in the MRI scanner. MRI uses a magnet and radio waves to obtain pictures of the brain. For the test, subjects lie on a narrow bed that slides into the cylindrical MRI scanner. They are asked to press a button in response to words associated with different emotions that appear on a screen. Arterial spin labeling - a test that uses magnetism to measure blood flow in different areas of the brain-is also done during the procedure. After the scan, subjects eat a meal and then return home. DNA from the participants' blood samples is also examined to try to better understand the genetic causes of depression. Some of the white cells from the samples may also be grown in the laboratory so that additional studies can be done later. ...

This study will explore possible hormonal causes of menstrual-related mood disorders (MRMD) by stopping the menstrual cycle with a drug called Lupron and then giving in sequence two menstrual cycle hormones, progesterone and estrogen. The study will first evaluate Lupron's effectiveness in treating MRMD and will then examine the effects of giving estrogen and progesterone on mood and behavior. In addition, positron emission tomography (PET) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) will be used to study serotonin receptors and transporters - molecules in the brain that are thought to play a major role in mood changes related to the menstrual cycle. Menstruating women between 18 and 50 years of age who are in good health, not pregnant, and not taking medications may be eligible for this study. Women with MRMD must have had at least moderately severe MRMD or behavioral disturbances for at least 6 months within 2 years of entering the study. Healthy controls must have no history of MRMD or behavioral disturbances. Candidates undergo physical and neurological examinations, chest x-ray, electrocardiogram, and blood and urine tests. Results of a recent Pap smear (no longer than 12 months before beginning the study) must be available. Participants undergo the following tests and procedures: Drug treatment: Lupron is injected into a muscle once a month for 5 months. After the second month, participants receive estrogen or progesterone, or both, daily. Estrogen is delivered through a skin patch (20 micrograms per day) and the progesterone is taken as a rectal or vaginal suppository twice a day for the remaining 12 weeks of the study. Every day, all participants wear a skin patch and insert two suppositories, but at some point during the 12 weeks, active medication is replaced with placebo to allow the drugs to wash out of the body. Physical examination and blood draw: A physical examination and blood tests are done at the start of the study and several times during the study to assess general health, evaluate liver and kidney function, and measure blood cell counts. Response to treatment drugs: Responses to Lupron, estrogen, and progesterone are evaluated periodically with interviews and symptoms self-rating scales. Control subjects also take paper and pencil psychological tests. PET imaging: A total of six PET scans are done at three time points during hormone treatment. PET uses small amounts of a radioactive chemical called a tracer that "labels" active areas of the brain. For the procedure, the subject lies on the scanner bed. A special mask is fitted to the head and attached to the bed to help keep the subject's head still during the scan so the images will be clear. A brief scan is done just before the radioactive tracer is injected to help in analyzing the PET data. After the tracer is injected through a catheter (plastic tube) placed in the arm, pictures are taken for about 2 hours, during which the subject lies still on the scanner bed. MRI scan: MRI uses a magnetic field and radio waves to produce images of body tissues and organs. For this procedure, 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 lasts about 1 hour.

To examine the separate and interactive effects of hostility, depressive symptomatology and socioeconomic status (SES) in predicting coronary heart disease risk.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of preventive treatment with a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) (escitalopram) in the first year after acute coronary syndromes (ACS). Methods: 240 patients with acute coronary syndromes (ST-elevation myocardial infarction [STEMI]), non-STEMI or unstable angina) will be enrolled within 8 weeks after ACS and will be randomly assigned to treatment with escitalopram/placebo (5-20 mg) in 52 weeks. Primary outcome measures are the diagnosis of depression and HDS (Hamilton Depression Scale). Psychiatric measurements: SCAN (Schedules for Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry), HDS, HAS (Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale), Udvalg for Kliniske Undersogelser (UKU) Side Effect Rating Scale, ESSI (Enhancing Recovery in Coronary Heart Disease [ENRICHD] Social Support Instrument), SF-36 (Short Form-36 Health Survey), SCL-92 (Symptom Check List) and BDI (Beck´s Depression Inventory). Cardiological measurements are blood pressure, electrocardiography, echocardiography (left ventricular ejection fraction), heart rate variability and use of medicine. Discussion: ACS patients with mental illness are usually only diagnosed to a very small extent during admission in a cardiologic department. These patients mainly remain untreated with an increased risk of somatic comorbidity and mortality. Therefore, it is in accordance with ethical principles to conduct a double blind, placebo-controlled study investigating the interface between anxiety, depression and ACS. Even in this blinded study, where one of the groups are treated with placebo, there will be a higher degree of treatment of depressive symptoms due to the low recognition of this problem. Conclusion: The DECARD study is the first study evaluating the effect of prophylactic treatment of depression in patients with ACS. The study will show if prophylactic treatment will improve cardiac prognosis.