Active clinical trials for "Mood Disorders"

The purpose of this study is to determine whether a newly developed, brief cognitive behavioral intervention, relative to supportive counseling, is effective in reducing acute stress disorder (ASD) and preventing post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression.

The purpose of this study is to investigate whether vitamin D3 (70 micrograms) is better than placebo in preventing depression symptoms among employees in health care

Recent studies show that 25 - 30% of depressed patients never fully recover, resulting in a treatment-resistant condition. Thus, depression is a major cause of human suffering. We are interested in finding new ways of identifying and alleviating treatment-resistant depression, and we believe that recent advances in brain imaging can contribute to achieving that goal. In this project, we will use a novel compound ([N-methyl-11C]mirtazapine) that we invented for examining the neurochemistry of brain receptors involved in antidepressant actions. Our compound, [N-methyl-11C]mirtazapine, is closely related to the clinically effective antidepressant drug mirtazapine (Remeron®). It labels several types of noradrenergic receptors that have often been implicated in "stress reactions" as well as depressive disorders. We believe that our compound can identify specific molecular brain dysfunctions that are causally related to treatment-resistant depression. The purpose of this study is to determine whether there is a reliable relationship between the level of mirtazapine in the bloodstream and the occupancy of neuroreceptors by mirtazapine in the brain. We will apply our standard procedures of PET brain scanning and region-of-interest data analysis, using healthy volunteers who will receive a daily dose of mirtazapine (double-blind design with placebo, 7.5 mg or 15 mg daily for 5 days). We believe that this project could provide a procedure for assessing brain function in treatment-resistant depression, with the aim of improving the guidelines for successful, evidence-based treatment of depression.

The purpose of this research is to see if daily combination treatment of L-arginine and Kuvan changes brain chemistry in people experiencing schizophrenia as measured by MRS brain scans.

Bipolar affective disorder or manic -depressive psychosis (MDP) is a mood disorder affecting 2.4% of the global population . Lithium is considered as the "gold standard" for the treatment of bipolar disorder but the clinical use of lithium is often restricted due to its narrow therapeutic range and adverse effects. In a published case report, Bleiwiss H found that sodium chloride supplementation diminished the adverse effects caused by lithium The literature search also revealed that till date, there is no published clinical study evaluating the effect of dietary intake of sodium in preventing the fluctuations of serum lithium level and lithium toxicity Therefore, a randomized clinical trial has been designed to evaluate the effect of regulated add -on dietary sodium chloride on serum lithium levels in bipolar disorder.

Anhedonia is characterized by loss of interest or pleasure. The proposed pilot study would be the first to test an innovative, neuroscience-informed intervention in mothers reporting depressive symptoms and stress to enhance positive emotionality with the goal of preventing anhedonia and associated emotional disturbances in their children. This study will recruit dyads (mothers and their children) for the intervention.

Some people with bipolar disorder who use cannabis (marijuana) claim that it eases the symptoms of depression and mania. There are many chemicals (called cannabinoids) found in cannabis but two particular ones appear to have medicinal (therapeutic) effects. These two compounds are: delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). These cannabinoids appear to have mood, anxiety, and sedative effects as well as have antipsychotic and anticonvulsant properties. This study will try to find out if these cannabinoids can be of benefit as an add-on treatment in bipolar disorder and what effects it has on thinking power and memory.

Suicidal behaviour (SB) represents a major public health problem, costing life in more that one million people every year worldwide. Even if SB is considered as a consequence of social adversity and depression, these stress factors are often necessary but not sufficient to explain the occurrence of a suicidal act. A preliminary study suggests that an increased perception of psychic pain during a major depressive disorder increases the risk of suicide behaviour. The investigators aimed to investigate the relationship between social exclusion (a classic trigger of psychic pain) and SB and improve our knowledge about the physiopathology of this domain.

Depressed patients unremitted after monotherapy with citalopram or bupropion will remit following six weeks treatment with the combination of citalopram and bupropion.

Based in an embodied approach of cognition, several studies have highlighted a direct link between perception of an object or an emotion and the associated motor responses. This study investigated in patients suffering from bipolar affective disorders whether the perception of emotional words involves an automatic sensorimotor simulation of approach and avoidance behaviors, and whether the perception of an object involves an automatic sensorimotor simulation of object prehension (affordance). We hypothesize that, in this pathology, low level (sensorimotor) cognitive processes are preserved whereas high-level (attentional) are altered. 20 patients suffering from bipolar affective disorders and 20 healthy controls will be recruited. The main objective is the emergence of sensorimotor compatibility effects in approach-avoidance task with emotional stimuli (gain between compatible vs incompatible conditions).