Active clinical trials for "Depressive Disorder"

This study investigates the effects of two hormones called epinephrine and cortisol on how the brain processes emotional material using functional MRI to measure brain activity. The study hopes to learn how epinephrine and cortisol affect the brain differently in depressed and non-depressed individuals.

The purpose of this study is to use fMRI to evaluate the effects of brexpiprazole as add-on therapy to antidepressants on brain connectivity in individuals with MDD and symptoms of anxiety, aged 18 to 65.

Demonstrate the acute effects of ketamine on endogenous µ-opioid neurotransmission in humans.

This research is a continuation of the Youth Readiness Intervention (YRI) randomized clinical trial by adding additional pre and post intervention data collection upon treatment of the control group (N=222) with the intervention which was proven effective in the larger trial. The overall research has investigated whether participation in the YRI intervention will improve emotional regulation, prosocial attitudes/behavior, social support and daily and functioning among war-affected 15-24 year olds in Sierra Leone. In this sub-study which will involve treatment of the control group with the effective YRI intervention, the investigators will add an additional measure of self-regulation as observed via DNA methylation in buccal cells collected via cheek swabs. As before, after the YRI intervention, youth will be offered a free educational opportunity at the EducAid program in Freetown or in one of its upline/provincial sites. This stage of the research, as in the treatment with the main group, will test whether youth enrolled in the YRI psychosocial intervention go on to demonstrate improved attendance and behavior in a subsidized education program. In the previous phase of the trial, the investigators did observe significant effects for the YRI intervention and evidence that the program is indeed effective. For instance, post-intervention, YRI youth reported greater improvements in emotion regulation (β=0.109, 95%CI 0.026 to 0.191, δ=0.31), prosocial attitudes/behaviors (β=0.149, 95%CI 0.057 to 0.240, δ=0.38), and social support (β=0.119, 95%CI 0.009 to 0.229, δ=0.26) than controls, and greater reductions in functional impairments (β= -0.175, 95%CI -0.299 to -0.050, δ= -0.35). Differences in symptoms were non-significant at six-month follow-up for the full sample; moderator analyses showed that, for individuals in the top quartile of baseline symptoms, YRI youth had greater improvements in emotion regulation and social support than controls. At eight-month follow-up, teachers reported that YRI participants were 8.9 times more likely to be in school (28.8% v. 4.7%) and showed better attendance (β=3.553, 95%CI 0.989 to 6.118, OR=34.93) and academic performance (β= -0.954, 95%CI -1.807 to -0.102, δ= -1.31). In this final phase of the trial as the investigators treat the wait list control group, the investigators will test whether intervention effects observed in self-report data on improved emotion-regulation are also upheld in biomarker data. Thus, the investigators will now provide YRI treatment to the wait list control group and employ the use of biomarkers as a measure of the intervention's effectiveness. The objective of the study will be to assess whether DNA methylation (collected via cheek swabs of buccal cells) is associated with changes in emotion regulation pre- and post- intervention. The aim is to test the hypothesis that the YRI is associated with improvements emotion-regulation evidence both in self-report data on emotion-regulation and in buccal cell DNA methylation. This study will add to the evidence base for effective, culturally sensitive mental health services for youth and young adults affected by war and other forms of adversity.

The long-term goal is to determine if decreased blood flow to the brain (cerebral hypoperfusion) is predictive of antidepressant outcomes in late-life depression (LLD). Studies in younger adult report that successful antidepressant treatment is associated with increases in cerebral blood flow, with no change in blood flow being observed in nonresponders. Thus cerebral hypoperfusion may be a biomarker of poor response to antidepressants. In LLD, this may occur secondarily to underlying vascular disease. If LLD is characterized by cerebral hypoperfusion and it does have predictive power to identify individuals who will poorly respond to conventional antidepressants, this would support the study of interventions that improve cerebral perfusion and may improve antidepressant outcomes. As an initial step in this research, this pilot study will utilize MRI to examine if resting blood flow deficits predict and persist with antidepressant nonremission in an elderly population. The rationale for this proposal is that it will guide the design and power requirements of a larger, definitive trial examining the relationship between cerebral perfusion and depression outcomes. Importantly, support for this mechanism being linked to LLD would also support studies examining the antidepressant efficacy of drugs that may improve cerebral perfusion. The primary purpose of this pilot study is a) to demonstrate feasibility by recruiting, scanning, and treating depressed elders; and b) to acquire preliminary data for competitive grant submissions. SPECIFIC AIM: To use MRI to test for differences in cerebral perfusion between individuals who do and do not remit to a 8-week course of sertraline.

Background: - Medications to treat major depression act on a brain chemical called serotonin, which binds to receptors on brain cells. More research is needed on how serotonin receptors work in the brain, and imaging studies such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can provide information on how these receptors function in the brains of individuals with depression and healthy volunteers. The experimental radioactive chemical [11C]CUMI has been designed to react with serotonin receptors, and researchers are interested in studying its effectiveness using positron emission tomography (PET) scanning to see how well it gets into the brain. Objectives: - To evaluate the effectiveness of the radiotracer [11C]CUMI in brain imaging studies of serotonin receptors. Eligibility: - Individuals between 18 and 55 years of age who either have been diagnosed with major depressive disorder or are healthy volunteers. Design: Participants will be screened with a full medical history, physical and psychiatric examination, blood and urine tests, and questionnaires about mood. Participants will also have an electrocardiogram at this visit. At the first study visit, participants will have a MRI scan of the brain to provide baseline data on brain function. At the second study visit, participants will have a PET scan with the [11C]CUMI contrast agent. No treatment will be provided as part of this protocol....

Based on the published evidence, collaborative care for depression is both necessary and sufficient for improving care and outcomes for depressed patients in primary care settings. The Translating Initiatives in Depression into Effective Solutions (TIDES) project, upon which ReTIDES is based, developed a VA-adapted version of collaborative care through input from veterans, clinicians, and managers. The initial TIDES project resulted in a clinically stable and effective model as tested in seven primary care practices in three VISNs. This positive result provided the basis for spreading and sustaining the TIDES model and initiating the study of national implementation strategies and issues.

Cognitive dysfunction is a highly persistent, pervasive and progressive abnormality in young adults (i.e., 18-65 years) with MDD. It has also been shown that among adults with MDD who are gainfully employed, measures of cognition are a greater determinant of overall workplace performance than is total depression symptom severity. Several lines of evidence indicate that cognitive deficits that persist between episodes of depression are critical determinants of functional recovery in the workplace. The functional implications associated with cognitive impairment provide the impetus for systematic evaluation, measurement and assessment of the domains of cognition expected to be impaired in this patient population. To date, no measurement tool has been sufficiently validated and/or determined to be sensitive to the cognitive deficits in younger adults with MDD. Major limitations of available comprehensive psychometric tools include relative lack of availability, cost, lack of access to most healthcare providers, and above all else, the lengthy time to administer. Moreover, the need for a psychometrist to interpret the results adds to the complexity and the costliness of such an endeavor. It is imperative that any tool recommended for clinical utility be aligned with the busy nature of a high-volume clinical practice. The ideal gold standard tool for assessing the presence of cognitive dysfunction in MDD in the clinical environment should include, but not be limited to, features such as good conceptual coverage of cognitive domains affected in MDD, good sensitivity and reliability, and it should be relatively uninfluenced by culture effects and practice effects. The tool would also need to be brief, easy to administer and interpret, and complement busy clinical practice. This study is designed to validate a brief user-friendly tool capable of detecting deficit in cognitive performance among adults with MDD. Data will be gathered with the aim to determine whether the proposed tool identifies cognitive deficits in adults with MDD and differentiates the clinical MDD population from healthy controls. It is anticipated that the THINC-it tool will be free of charge and downloadable from the THINC-it website for use in the primary care and specialty setting. The THINC-it tool will be accessible via computers/tablets, will take 20 minutes to self-administer in a clinical setting, and the performance results will be immediately available.

In this study the investigators would like to evaluate how prelabor analgesic plan and actual labor analgesia effects the labor satisfaction, breastfeeding success, and whether or not it reduces postpartum depression. Although postpartum depression has been researched and reviewed, there is little information on how satisfaction during labor affects postpartum outcomes. The relationship between epidural analgesia is also complex, and there has yet to be found a valid correlation between the two parameters. In addition although an attempt has been made to evaluate relationship between breastfeeding and epidural analgesia, results are unclear and further research is needed.

The purpose of this study is to determine if medical, biological, psychological, and social risk factors can be used to develop algorithms that will predict perinatal depression (PND). Data capture will include baseline participant medical, psychological and family history, blood biomarkers, and psychosocial assessments.