
Neural Mechanisms of Meditation Training in Healthy and Depressed Adolescents: An MRI Connectome...
Depression MildDepression Moderate2 moreThe primary objective will be to study changes in putamen connectivity and depression severity in depressed teens with meditation training. H1: Putamen node strength will increase in the training group compared to the active controls. H2: This increase in node strength will correlate with practice amount recorded by participants. H3: There will be a significant reduction in self-rated depression symptoms following the training as measured by the Reynolds Adolescent Depression Scale (RADS-2), compared to controls. H4: This reduction will correlate with the increase in putamen node strength. Design and Outcomes: The current research study design will utilize an individually randomized group treatment, open-label, active-controlled clinical trial to test the efficacy and safety of the investigator's innovative mindfulness meditation intervention (Training for Awareness Resilience and Action [TARA]) on the primary outcome (Putamen structural node strength) and secondary outcome (depression symptoms measured using Reynolds Adolescent Depression Scale [RADS-2]) in depressed adolescents between the ages of 14 to 18 years old.

Effects of 12-week Exercises on Alexithymia, Depression and Quality of Life in Geriatric Individuals...
DepressionAlexithymia2 moreThe aim of this study is to investigate the effects of aerobic and resistance exercises on depression, alexithymia levels and quality of life of elderly individuals.

Implementation Science Approach to Enhancing Depression Treatment in Collaborative Depression Care...
Depressive SymptomsThe purpose of this study is to examine the effectiveness of a multi-level intervention - centered around a web-application that facilitates depression screening, automated shared decision making (SDM), patient activation, and psychoeducation - on mental health treatment optimization among patients with elevated depressive symptoms with or without co-morbid anxiety receiving care in primary care clinics that offer collaborative care. The objectives of the study include: Leveraging user centered design to refine an electronic SDM (eSDM) tool (aim 1), and assessing the effect of the eSDM tool on provider behavior (aim 2) and on patient enrollment in depression treatment (aim 3).

MRI Markers of Feedback Timing During Learning in Individuals With TBI With and Without Clinical...
Traumatic Brain InjuryMajor Depressive DisorderThe goal of this proposal is to examine the influence of feedback timing on learning and brain function in individuals with moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury (TBI), with and without depression.

Efficacy Testing of a Culturally Relevant Stigma Intervention With WLWH in Tanzania
HIVStigma5 moreThis study will test a stigma reduction intervention with women living with HIV in Tanzania.

Effects of Vitamin D Supplementation on Depression and Inflammatory Markers
Major DepressionVitamin D DeficiencyThe current study is designed as a prospective partially randomized patient preference (PRPP) trial and recruit psychiatric outpatients or inpatients. Participants who agree to receive randomization will be randomly assigned into a supplementation or placebo group, after stratification for pre-intervention vitamin D status (12-20 ng/mL or <12 ng/mL) and depression status (HDRS-17 ≥ 17 or < 17). Participants who decline randomization but agree to receive follow-up in the observational cohort choose their preferred method (either 4800 IU vitamin D3 per day, or usual care without supplementation). Severity of depression, any change of medication, and side effect will be assessed at baseline and at 2-week intervals for 8 weeks. Serum levels of 25(OH)D, C-Reactive protein (CRP) and 12 cytokines, anthropometrical measurements, dietary intake, physical activity and sun exposure will be assessed at baseline and post-intervention. Additionally, serum levels of 25(OH)D will be assessed at 4 weeks to ensure its safety level.

Early Identification of TRD and Construction and Clinical Validation of NTBS Precision Technology...
Treatment-Resistant DepressionThe goal of this clinical trial is to learn about the characteristics, identify early and intervene effectively in time in Treatment-Resistant Depression. The main questions are: • TRD is difficult to identify early and lacks objective detection indicators; • Existing treatment strategies for TRD are associated with side effects and high treatment resistance; • Current non-invasive brain stimulation therapy lacks precision. it aims to answer are: • Construct a multimodal TRD early identification model based on clinical characteristics, blood factors, functional magnetic resonance and brain electrophysiological indicators; • Develop non-invasive transcranial deep brain stimulation technology based on focused electric field; • In TRD patients, an individualized non-invasive transcranial deep electrical stimulation technology based on precise magnetic resonance targets and EEG phase guidance was constructed. Participants will:• be collected data multiple times including clinical symptoms, peripheral biology, functional magnetic resonance, electrophysiology and other clinical data before and after the intervention; • receive non-invasive transcranial deep brain stimulation or sham stimulation of different deep brain target points; • be collected EEG data while receiving stimulation. Researchers will • compare the biological characteristics of TRD, n-TRD patients and health controls to build early identification models and find potential spatial and temporal intervention targets dependent on TRD status; • verify the safety of non-invasive transcranial deep brain stimulation device in health controls; • compare TRD with different modes of stimulation to find the best treatment plan for non-invasive transcranial deep brain stimulation and verify safety.

Low Intensity Ultrasound Neuromodulation of Repetitive Negative Thinking In Depression
Major Depressive DisorderThe investigators propose to use low-intensity transcranial focused ultrasound (LIFU), a novel neuromodulation method, to probe the causal involvement of individually defined components of an anteromedial brain circuit in the processing of self-referential thoughts, and the production of repetitive negative thinking (RNT), a prominent transdiagnostic manifestation with adverse clinical consequences. The investigators hypothesize that real vs. sham low-intensity sonication of individually-defined anteromedial structures connecting medial orbitofrontal and anterior cingulate cortices with ventral striatum and anterior thalamus will show reduced initiation or maintenance of RNT as measured by (1) Brief State Rumination Inventory (BSRI) scores and distress associated to repetitive negative thoughts, and (2) improvement of the affective valence associated to self-referential adjectives, and that these changes will be associated with decreased connectivity between structures mentioned above. The present early feasibility study is an initial step that aims to determine its feasibility and help with the planning of a larger study addressed at actual hypothesis testing.

LUPUS Brain: tACS to Target the Neurophysiology of Depression, Cognitive Deficits, and Pain in Patients...
Systemic Lupus ErythematosusDepressionThe purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of a type of non-invasive transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) on patients diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) who are experiencing depression. Targeting depression in patients with SLE may provide benefit to these patients, as there is a clear relationship between chronic pain and depression. The investigators propose that a tACS stimulation montage that was previously used in depression could be beneficial to patients with SLE, resulting in reduced depression symptoms, thus resulting in reduced chronic pain and cognitive difficulties.

Affective Touching on Poststroke Depression
Post-stroke DepressionThis mixed-method study includes a randomised controlled trial and an exploratory qualitative study, and aims to examine the effects of caregiver-delivered affective touch on depressive symptoms, state of attachment security, self-esteem, and perceived family harmony among stroke survivors, and to explore the mediating effect of attachment security and how an intervention may affect depressive symptoms from stroke survivor's perspective. A total of 184 survivor-caregiver dyads will be recruited from various non-governmental organisations. The dyads will be randomly allocated to intervention (IG) and control (CG) groups, stratified by the survivor's attachment style. IG caregivers will be taught to deliver a 15-minute affective touch intervention to stroke survivors. To address the attention effect, CG caregivers will be asked to sit with the survivors during a 15-minute fine motor coordination exercise. Both activities, affective touching and fine motor exercise, will be performed for 12 weeks (3 times/week), and the outcomes mentioned earlier will be measured at baseline, 12 and 36 weeks after study entry.