
Laughter Yoga Intervention for People With Major Depressive Disorder
Major Depressive DisorderMood Disorder1 moreThe present study will adopt a non-blinded parallel-group randomized controlled trial design that involves a Laughter Yoga group (intervention) and a treatment-as-usual group (Control). It aims to determine the feasibility of using LY intervention on patients with Major depressive disorder (MDD), and also to evaluate the potential effect of the intervention on comorbid depression, anxiety and stress for these patients. It is hypothesized that, LY group, as compared to the TAU group, will have significantly lower symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress, but greater improvements in self-reported mental health/physical health-related quality of life immediately post intervention and at 3 months' follow-up.

McLean and Genomind Prospective Study
Major Depressive DisorderPTSDThis is a three month naturalistic prospective, randomized, open label study of pharmacogenetic testing and clinical outcomes in inpatients across diagnoses, including Treatment Resistant Depression (TRD) with or without Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), recruiting from the Short Term Unit at McLean Hospital. Specifically, the investigators will enroll 200 inpatient subjects over 2 years who will donate saliva/undergo a cheek swab to collect DNA for the Genecept assay. For 100 patients in the assay-guided group, treating Clinicians will receive the Genecept report prior to patient discharge and use it to guide psychoeducation and medication management. For the additional 100 inpatients, treating clinicians will not receive the report during the patient's inpatient stay (treatment as usual. Clinicians will receive the assay report for patients in the treatment-as-usual group at the 3-month followup period. Thus this group will serve as the control group for the outcomes related to Genecept-guided decision making.

Social Media Intervention for Postpartum Depression
Postpartum DepressionParentingThis study is intended to compare the acceptability and feasibility and explore outcomes related to two different formats of a parenting program for mothers with postpartum depressive symptoms. One version will be a traditional, in-person group format, while the other will be a social media group format. The investigators will also explore the differences in outcomes of both formats, looking at depressive symptoms, parenting sense of competency, and parenting interactions with children.

Biomarkers of Neuroinflammation and Anti-Inflammatory Treatments in Major Depressive Disorder
Major Depressive DisorderThe purpose of this study is to determine if translocator protein total distribution volume (TSPO VT) is elevated in major depressive disorder that is not responding to medication and if adding minocycline can affect TSPO VT. Many remain treatment resistant with common antidepressant treatments and the investigators think it may be due to poor targeting of brain pathologies.

Collaborative Care to Reduce Depression and Increase Cancer Screening Among Low-Income Urban Women...
DepressionBreast Cancer Screening2 moreBronx County, New York is the poorest urban county in the U.S.A., and residents are almost entirely Latino or African American. Cancer is the leading cause of premature death in the Bronx, with morality rates significantly higher than for New York City as a whole. Low-income/minority populations are more likely to be diagnosed with preventable and late-stage cancers than the general population, in part, due to lower screening rates. While research has addressed screening barriers in low-income/minority groups, depression, a common,potentially critical barrier, has received scant attention. Research suggests that depressed women are less likely to engage in cancer screening, especially mammography and Pap testing. The link between mental health and cancer screening is particularly important to address in the Bronx, which has the highest rates of self-reported serious psychological distress (a measure closely related to depression) in New York City. Depression affects almost 1 in 4 minority women, and while minorities often seek help for depression in primary care, primary care depression management often does not meet evidence-based standards. Drawing on the expertise and close collaboration of Bronx medical and social service providers and patient stakeholders, this study will determine whether a collaborative care intervention that addresses both depression and cancer screening needs simultaneously among women ages 50-64 is more effective at improving cancer screening and patient-reported outcomes for women with depression than an existing evidence-based cancer screening intervention alone. To achieve this, the investigators will compare the effectiveness of these two interventions using a randomized controlled trial (RCT). In partnership with six Bronx Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), the investigators will recruit approximately 800 women ages 50-64 who screen positive for depression and are non-adherent with recommended cervical, breast, and/or colorectal cancer screenings. The investigators specific aims are to: 1) compare the impact of the two interventions on patient-reported outcomes, including cancer screening knowledge and attitudes, self-efficacy, depression-related stigma, provider referrals, participation in mental health care, medication adherence, quality of life, satisfaction with care and treatment decisions, and depression; 2) compare the effectiveness of the two interventions in increasing breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer screening; 3) determine whether reducing depression increases the likelihood that low-income women 50-64 will receive cancer screening; 4) determine whether effectiveness of the two interventions in increasing cancer screening varies according to patient characteristics, such as duration of depression, presence of other chronic conditions, and obesity. This study is designed to increase the investigators understanding of how to enhance primary care systems' ability to improve a range of outcomes related to cancer screening and depression among low-income minority women, and how to best support this population in making cancer-screening decisions.

Training and Supervision Program for Depression Management
DepressionAccording to the literature the management of depressive disorders at primary care level is not always consistent with guidelines. The main objective of this study is to test whether a Comprehensive Technology-Assisted Training and Supervision Program will improve depression management in Primary Health Care clinics in Santiago, Chile.

Three Dosing Regimens of Dextromethorphan (DXM) Reportedly Used in Major Depressive Disorder
MDDTreatment Resistant Depression2 moreThis is an open-label dosing pilot study of 15 patients aged 18-50 years of age with diagnoses of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) randomized to 1 of 3 treatment arms. The study will consist of a screening evaluation performed within the course of 2 weeks, followed by an active treatment period of 28 days where treatment arm 1 will take a supervised dose of 300mg DXM every 14 days for 28 days, treatment arm 2 will take the FDA approved maximum daily ingestion for cough (60mg DXM) daily for 28 days, and treatment arm 3 will take 1 supervised dose of 300mg DXM and 60mg for the remaining 28 days. After the active treatment period, subjects will be followed for 65 days with safety and psychiatric assessments at designated timepoints.

Effects of Seven Day Prucalopride Administration in Healthy Volunteers
Molecular Mechanisms of Pharmacological ActionDepression5 moreThis study will investigate whether seven days administration of the serotonin receptor subtype 4 (5-HT4) partial agonist prucalopride has effects on emotional processing and neural activity in healthy volunteers, compared to placebo administration. Using an experimental medicine approach, the effects of prucalopride on cognitive biomarkers of antidepressant action will be characterised. In a double-blind design, participants will be randomised to receive seven days administration of either prucalopride (1mg daily) or placebo. All participants will come for a Screening visit, Research Visit One (including an MRI scan) and Research Visit Two (including measures of emotional processing and non-emotional cognition). The primary study hypothesis is that seven-day prucalopride administration will have positive effects on emotional processing and reward sensitivity. A secondary hypothesis is that seven-day prucalopride administration will alter non-emotional cognition. Finally, the study will test the hypothesis that seven day prucalopride administration will alter neural activity during an emotional faces task and a memory task.

Development of Pregnenolone as a Treatment for Depression R61
Major Depressive DisorderPregnenolone, an over-the-counter supplement, is a naturally occurring neurosteroid made in the adrenal glands and brain. Preclinical research suggests pregnenolone has antidepressant, cognitive enhancing, and neuroprotective properties, particularly in women. The following hypothesis will be tested in this trial: pregnenolone is associated with improvement in depressive symptom severity in women that is associated with changes in the resting state functional connectivity (rsFC) and GABA.

Sleep and Depression in Induction of Labour
Prolonged PregnancySleep Disturbance1 moreRandomised trial comparing double balloon catheter for induction of labor between inpatient and outpatient groups. The investigators assess how sleep disturbances and depression of the mother affect to the pain during balloon catheter induction of labour.