Oxford Social Movement Activation Study
DepressionLow Mood3 moreFor adolescents and young people particularly, there is need for better and more readily available treatments for depression and low mood. Comparatively less work has been done to characterize and treat depression specifically in young people. Previous literature indicates that often the unaddressed or under-addressed mental health difficulties in youth perseverate into adulthood and contribute to a host of individual and communal difficulties throughout the lifespan (Layard & Clark, 2015). Specifically, if depression goes unaddressed in young adulthood, the likelihood of a chronic course and multiple relapses or recurrences is much higher (Saunders et al., 2021; Buckman et al., 2018). In the present research, we seek to investigate the potential efficacy of a novel intervention for young people with low mood. Depression disrupts social functioning, and social connectedness is especially important during adolescence for healthy development. Within a growing body of literature, social dance has been linked to social and mental health benefits along the dimensions of those disrupted in depression (Lakes et al., 2016; Shuper & Vulcan, 2021; Hyvönen et al., 2020). We hypothesize that social dance might preferentially and efficiently target the goals of addressing loneliness, closeness, and enjoyment in young people compared to other approaches to the treatment of low mood and depression in a way that could lead to mood improvements. Specifically, we are interested in the impact of a social movement-based activity, salsa dancing, on young peoples' mood and social and emotional processing. Social and emotional processing (SEP) tasks, such as emotional facial recognition and memory for emotional words, have been demonstrated to correspond with early changes that can be predictive of mood changes and treatment efficacy downstream (e.g., Harmer et al., 2017). Including SEP tasks in this research will help to elucidate the potential mechanisms underlying mood improvements, should social dance correspond to improved mood in participants. The present research seeks to: Aim 1: Investigate the effect of a social dance intervention on low mood. This will be assessed by administering psychological questionnaires to participants before, during, and after the study course of social dance sessions. In particular, we hypothesize that participants will experience reductions in low mood (assessed via the PHQ-9) following the social movement intervention as compared to a waitlist control. Aim 2: Characterize any early social and emotional processing changes that correspond to social dance versus a waitlist control. This will be assessed via social and emotional processing task performance before, during, and following the social movement sessions. We anticipate that improvements in social and emotional functioning as demonstrated via one or several of these tasks will assist in elucidating the possible mechanisms responsible for mood improvement from social movement. Aim 3: Characterize any social interaction difference from pre to post intervention that correspond to the social dance versus waitlist condition. This will be assessed via a version of the trust game before and following the social movement sessions and waitlist control. We anticipate seeing more disrupted trust behavior prior to the intervention or control conditions and less disrupted trust behavior following salsa dancing classes, but not the waitlist control. In this randomized controlled trial, participants in the experimental group will complete six to eight sessions of social movement (salsa dance) classes within an eight-week period, and complete psychological questionnaires and tasks before, during, and after these eight weeks. Their scores will be compared with those of a control group that will participate in an active waitlist condition. If the present study suggests that social movement benefits young people with low mood, it could form the basis for investigating a potential new cost-effective, non-invasive, accessible intervention that could be made available to young people.
The Effects of Logotherapy in Adolescents With Mood Disorders
Mood Disorder of Depressed TypeLogotherapy can help people find their meaning in life and help people reduce their suicidal ideation. Suicide was the second leading cause of death for 15-24 year-olds. Logotherapy can increase exploration of meaning in life for adolescents and prevent them from attempting suicide. However, most research only explored the effects of logotherapy on meaning in life and depression in adolescents with mood disorders. There is a lack of research to explore the effects of logotherapy on anxiety and suicidal ideation in adolescents. Therefore, this study will explore the effects of logotherapy on meaning in life, depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation in adolescents with mood disorders. This study will carry on for two years and the sample will be recruited from the adolescents' outpatient clinic of psychiatric department in hospitals. The first and second year of the study will use a single-blind randomized controlled trial approach, the aim is to evaluate the short-term and longitudinal effects of logotherapy meaning in life, depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation in adolescents with mood disorders, the sample will collect 120 adolescents with mood disorders, and will use four instruments for testing the logotherapy intervention. The four instruments are: (1) Purpose in life Test, (2) Beck Depression Inventory II, (3) Beck Anxiety Inventory, (4) Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation. Data will be analyzed using the Statistic Package for the Social Science. The result of this study will be applied to the mental health team in the clinical psychiatric department for taking care of patients, and help adolescents with mood disorders to find their meaning in life, further, to reduce their depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation.
Feasibility of My EMI, Emotional Well-Being to Guide and Personalize Psychological Treatments
Emotional DisorderThe present project aims at testing the feasibility of an app-based system called My EMI, Emotional Well-Being for routine outcome monitoring of adult patients with emotional disorders while they are administered a self-applied online transdiagnostic psychological intervention.
Technology-Assisted Implementation of a Mobile Health Program for Serious Mental Illness
SchizophreniaBipolar Disorder2 moreThe goal of this clinical trial is to learn about how a digital training platform can enhance implementation and effectiveness of a validated mHealth system, called FOCUS, in people with serious mental illness. The main question this research aims to answer is whether patients obtain similar outcomes to previous FOCUS studies when using FOCUS with clinicians trained on a newly developed digital training platform. Participants will be asked to use the FOCUS smartphone application and receive mobile health coaching from clinicians who have been trained using the digital training platform.
EEG-MRI Imaging of Methylphenidate Effects in Adult ADHD and Attentional Symptoms in Mood Disorders...
Adult ADHDAdult-onset ADHD With Mood DisorderAttention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in adults is a common psychiatric disorder, with important consequences in terms of quality of life, mental health (associated disorders and poorer response to treatment), family life, risk of accidents; with a consequent cost for society. Adult ADHD is frequently associated with psychiatric co-morbidities, and notably associated with mood disorders (major depressive disorder or bipolar disorder) in about 50% of cases. The diagnosis of ADHD in adults is made in patients with an attentional complaint (pure ADHD or ADHD-P), but also very often in the management of a comorbid mood disorder (ADHD associated with mood disorder, or ADHD-MD). In this case, the ADHD had no impact during childhood and adolescence. Medication management is well established for ADHD-P, and medication is based on methylphenidate, which has a rapid and significant effect on attentional symptoms and impulsivity. However, in the case of ADHD-HD, there is little evidence of treatment efficacy and the mechanisms of action of methylphenidate at the brain level are poorly understood. The aim of the study is to determine the neural mechanisms of the effect of methylphenidate, using functional MRI and EEG, in ADHD-P and ADHD-HD patients, and to compare them to healthy subjects. A single dose allows us to observe effects that are then persistent with repeated doses. The aim is to determine, by means of a biomarker, whether methylphenidate treatment responds to the same mechanisms in the different groups and would be relevant in ADHD-P as in ADHD-HD. Main objective: To determine whether methylphenidate impacts differently on brain circuits associated with cognitive functions in the two clinical populations studied (adult ADHD patients and patients with post mood disorder attentional deficit) and in comparison to controls. Secondary objectives: To determine the effect of methylphenidate on baseline brain flow in the two clinical populations and in controls (healthy subjects). To determine whether methylphenidate has a different impact on cognitive performance in the two clinical populations studied and in comparison to controls (healthy subjects). To confirm the effect of methylphenidate on the maintenance of cortical arousal. To distinguish the brain networks impacted by methylphenidate (maintenance of attention or inhibition) with MRI and EEG.
Gut Microbiota in Mood Disorders in Lebanese Population
Gut MicrobiomeMood DisordersThis study aims to evaluate the pathophysiological aspects of the role of inflammation and gut microbiota in mood disorders, in particular in depression, and their therapeutic implications on a cohort of the Lebanese population. Specific objective: The evaluation of probiotic intake (CEREBIOME®, Lallemand Health Solutions Inc., Mirabel, Canada) on depressive patients and the inflammatory state. Evaluate the effect of oral intake of a probiotic agent, on clinical and plasma inflammatory markers, in a subgroup of target patients versus a subgroup treated with placebo, in combination with conventional treatment.
Pilot Study of Neuromodulation for Enhancement of Emotion Regulation in Bipolar Mood Disorders
Bipolar DisorderTranscranial Magnetic StimulationThe investigators are conducting this research study to better understand how individuals with bipolar disorder regulate their emotions, and if the study can use a technique called "transcranial magnetic stimulation" or TMS to help improve emotion regulation for individuals with bipolar disorder.
Cannabidiol as an Adjunctive Treatment for Bipolar Depression
Bipolar DisorderBipolar Depression1 moreDepressive symptoms are associated with significant psychosocial impairment. However, current treatments of bipolar depression are only partially effective. Cannabidiol is a natural component of cannabis without psychotomimetic or addictive properties. Cannabidiol has been shown to produce therapeutic effects including anticonvulsive, anxiolytic, antipsychotic and neuroprotective effects. The investigators hypothesize that treatment with cannabidiol will result in improvement of depressive and anxiety symptoms, as well as, improvement in functioning and inflammatory biomarkers. During the clinical trial, subjects will receive study medication (cannabidiol 150-300mg/day) or placebo for a period of 12 weeks.
Physical Exercise as Adjunctive Therapy for Affective Disorder and Anxiety
DepressionPhysical Inactivity12 more"Braining" is a clinical method for physical exercise as adjunctive therapy in psychiatric care. The core components are personnel-led group training sessions and motivating contact with psychiatric staff, as well as measurement and evaluation before and after the training period of 12 weeks. Objective. This study aims to describe the clinical and demographic variables in the population of patients who participated in Braining 2017-2020, investigate the feasibility of Braining, and analyse perceived short-term effects and side effects of Braining regarding psychiatric and somatic symptoms. Method. The project is a retrospective, descriptive study. Patients at Psykiatri Sydväst (PSV, Psychiatric Clinic Psychiatry Southwest, Stockholm) who participated in Braining 2017-2020 during at least 3 training sessions, will be asked for inclusion. Medical and demographic data, as well as patient treatment evaluations, are already available in medical records.
Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Trial of Riluzole in Pediatric Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar DisorderAnxiety Disorders2 morePediatric Bipolar Disorder (BD) is uncommon in children. Its symptoms include periods of manic behavior (being overly happy or giddy, feeling grandiose, feeling a decreased need for sleep, having too much energy, moving more than usual, talking fast, having speeded-up thoughts and other symptoms). Sometimes there also is depression (extreme feelings of sadness or irritability, not taking pleasure in things, even ones that used to be enjoyable, feeling worthless or guilty, sleeping too much or having trouble getting to or staying asleep, feeling slowed down or restless, having wishes to be dead or suicidal ideas, and other symptoms). Pediatric BD is often difficult to treat; children may respond only partially to the medications now available or have too many side effects to tolerate them. Riluzole is a medication that is thought to work on a brain chemical called glutamate that may be involved in symptoms of depression and BD. Previous research studies have shown that riluzole may help adults with BD who have depression and adults who have depression, anxiety disorders, or obsessive-compulsive disorders. Riluzole may also be helpful for children with obsessive-compulsive disorder. However, it has never been given to children with BD. This study will evaluate the effectiveness of riluzole in 80 patients between 9 and 17 years of age who have BD and symptoms of anxiety. Participants must have tried at least two other medications that have not been effective. The study will consist of four phases carried out over 4 to 5 months. Most children will be inpatients at the Pediatric Behavioral Health Unit for at least part of the study. In Phase 1, each patient will undergo blood and urine tests, and will gradually taper off his or her medication. The duration of this phase depends on the medication that the patient was receiving before starting the study. In Phase 2, the patient will remain off all medication for 1 week. Throughout this time, patients will be monitored carefully and medication will be restarted if needed. In Phase 3, which lasts 8 weeks, patients will be assigned randomly to receive only riluzole or only a placebo. Those who receive riluzole will have the dose adjusted as needed. Patients and families will be informed of which drug they were on at the end of this phase. Patients who improved on riluzole may continue to receive it from NIH for 1 month and will then be prepared for discharge from the study. Patients who received placebo and improved, and those who received riluzole but did not improve, will be treated with standard medications as appropriate and prepared for discharge from the study. Phase 4 is for patients who received placebo and did not improve. They will be given the chance to try riluzole for 8 weeks and, if it is effective, continue it for an additional 4 weeks while they prepare to be discharged from the study. Patients will not be able to receive riluzole at the National Institutes of Health after the completion of the study. However, the child's doctor may be able to prescribe riluzole as an off-label use. Most patients will be admitted to the Pediatric Behavioral Health Unit at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center during the medication withdrawal part of the study (Phases 1 and 2). From Phase 3 on, a patient may participate as an inpatient, outpatient, or in day treatment, depending on what is in his or her best interests. All participants in this study will be invited to also enroll in the National Institute of Mental Health protocol 00-M-0198, The Phenomenology and Neurophysiology of Affective Dysregulation In Children And Adolescents With Bipolar Disorder. Some research tests for that protocol will be done during the medication-free period of this protocol. ...