View clinical trials related to Depressive Disorder.
Filter by:The current large randomized placebo-controlled trial is testing the ability of acupuncture to treat major depression. The study is unique in that treatment effects will be from the perspective of both Western psychiatry and Chinese medicine.
Major depression afflicts approximately 25 percent of patients with AD. Depression in AD patients leads to mental suffering, behavioral disturbance (such as aggression), poor cognition, poor self-care, caregiver depression, caregiver burden, and early entry into the nursing home. Since major depression is treatable, this additional disability may be avoidable. The use of antidepressants to treat major depression in AD is supported by two studies, although a third does not show a benefit for antidepressants over placebo. Also, the safety of antidepressant treatment in depressed AD patients is poorly studied. A conclusive study showing that depression reduction in AD can be accomplished safely with antidepressant medications, and that depression reduction is associated with improvements in activities of daily living, non-mood behavioral disturbances, caregiver burden, and caregiver depression would have major clinical and cost implications for the care of the AD patient. This study is a 13-week, double blind, flexible dose, placebo controlled trial of sertraline in the treatment of outpatients with AD and co-morbid major depression. The hypothesis is that antidepressant treatment is superior to placebo in improving mood, in improving cognition, in reducing physical dependency, in reducing caregiver depression, and in reducing caregiver burden. It is also hypothesized that the degree of depression reduction is correlated with these improvements. It is further hypothesized that the safety profile of sertraline when compared to placebo is acceptable, especially with regard to risk of falls, sleep disturbance, and delirium. One hundred community residing outpatients with probable AD who also meet DSM-IV criteria for major depressive episode will be recruited into the study. They will be randomized to sertraline or placebo and followed through weekly telephone contact by an experienced clinical trials team. Outcomes will be assessed every 3 weeks, for a total of four followup data points. Scales assessing the following domains will be used: depression, cognition, behavioral disturbance, physical dependency, delirium, falls, sleep, other side effects, caregiver depression, caregiver burden, caregiver functioning, and caregiver health.
We are offering non-pharmacologic therapy for alleviation of symptoms associated with depressed mood that recurs annually in fall or winter. The treatments are self-administered at home by the patient, with close clinical supervision. Our trials use specially designed devices that replenish two different environmental elements, naturally occurring light and negative ions in the air. Both factors may be reduced in winter, bringing on depression.
TADS is designed to compare the effectiveness of established treatments for teenagers suffering from major depressive disorder (MDD). The treatments are: psychotherapy ("talking therapy"); medication; and the combination of psychotherapy and medication. Altogether, 432 teenagers (both males and females) ages 12 to 17, will take part in this study at 12 sites in the United States. The TADS design will provide answers to the following questions: What is the long-term effectiveness of medication treatment of teenagers who have major depression? What is the long-term effectiveness of a specific psychotherapy ("talking therapy) in the treatment of teenagers who have major depression? How does medication treatment compare with psychotherapy in terms of effectiveness, tolerability and teenager and family acceptance? And, What is the cost-effectiveness of medication, psychotherapy and combined treatments? The medication being used in this study is called fluoxetine. Fluoxetine is also known as Prozac. Research has shown that medications like Prozac help depression in young persons. Fluoxetine has been approved by the FDA for use in the treatment of child and adolescent (ages 7 to 17 years) depression. The psychotherapy or "talking therapy" being used in this study is called Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). CBT is a talking therapy that will teach both the teenager and his or her family member (e.g., parent) new skills to cope better with depression. Specific topics include education about depression and the causes of depression, setting goals, monitoring mood, increasing pleasant activities, social problem-solving, correcting negative thinking, negotiation, compromise and assertiveness. CBT sessions may also help with resolving disagreements as they affect families.
The purpose of this study is to determine whether women with major depression lose bone mass at a faster rate than women without depression. This study will also determine if the drug alendronate can maintain or increase bone mass in premenopausal women with major depression and osteoporosis. Depression may be a major risk factor for osteoporosis; it is associated with abnormally elevated stress hormone levels that may contribute to bone loss. This study will evaluate bone mass in women with depression and healthy volunteers. Participants will undergo psychiatric, medical, dietary, and stress hormone evaluations and bone mineral density (BMD) measurements. Participants with depression will be divided into two groups: those with normal BMD and those with low BMD. Depressed participants with normal BMD will be compared to a control group of healthy premenopausal women with normal BMD and followed for 36 months. Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) determinations will be made at months 6, 12, 24 and 36; bone turnover and endocrine parameters of depression will be measured every 3 to 6 months. Participants with depression and low BMD will be randomly assigned to receive either alendronate or placebo (an inactive pill) once a week for 24 months. Participants will receive calcium and vitamin D supplements daily. DEXA determinations will be performed at screening, and at Months 6, 12, 18 and 24; bone turnover and endocrine parameters of depression will be measured every 3 to 6 months. For both groups, up to four of the visits may optimally be done as inpatient stays of two nights. All remaining visits are as outpatients.
This study investigates the potential efficacy of two nonpharmacologic treatments for nonseasonal depression, bright light exposure or high-density negative air ion exposure. Treatments are self-administered at home by the patient under close clinical supervision.
This nationwide study will create a DNA collection to permit qualified scientists to search for depression-related genes. More than 750 families with at least two siblings who have experienced major depression are needed for the study. Participants will be interviewed about psychiatric and family history, and will be asked to provide a small blood specimen. The identification of predisposing genes can lead to greater understanding of the brain mechanisms involved in severe depression which can in turn lead to the discovery of new treatments. A Certificate of Confidentiality from the federal government ensures that all information will be strictly confidential. Blood specimens are identified only by code number (not by name). Reimbursement is provided.
To examine the separate and interactive effects of hostility, depressive symptomatology and socioeconomic status (SES) in predicting coronary heart disease risk.
Depression is one of the most common emotional problems among youths with insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM). It has been shown that depression in youths with IDDM lasts a while and may have a role in later complications of the medical condition. And yet, there are no psychological interventions appropriate for such youngsters. The purpose of this study is to modify a treatment called ''Contextual Psychotherapy'' (that has been developed for depressed youngsters) in order to address special needs of depressed youths with IDDM, and to ''pilot test'' the treatment. The youngsters to be recruited are those being cared for at the Diabetes Clinic of the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh. The treatment includes a 3- month phase (16 sessions), followed by a 3-month ''booster'' phase (3 sessions), and two later follow-up evaluations.
The purpose of this trial is to study the acute efficacy and safety of a standardized extract of the herb Hypericum perforatum (St. John's Wort), called hypericum for purposes of this trial, in the treatment of patients with major depression. Clinical depression is a serious medical disorder that can be debilitating and can lead to suicide. There is growing public interest in claims that hypericum may be an effective treatment for depression. Although it is widely prescribed in Europe, no studies of its long-term use have been conducted, and published studies have treated different types of patients and have used several different doses. The toxicity and side effects of hypericum appear to be substantially less than those of standard tricyclic antidepressant medications, and thus hypericum may be more acceptable to patients. In addition, the cost is significantly less than standard antidepressant medications. Published studies assessed acute efficacy and lasted between 4 and 12 weeks (most being 4-6 weeks). The longer-term effects of hypericum have not been evaluated. There is a need for a large-scale, controlled clinical trial to assess whether Hypericum has a significant therapeutic effect in patients with clinical depression. Patients are assigned randomly (like tossing a coin) to receive St. John's wort, Sertraline (Zoloft), or a placebo (sugar pill) for 8 weeks. This is a double-blind study, meaning neither the patient nor the doctor will know which treatment is being assigned. Patients who respond well to the treatment will continue on the assigned treatment for an additional 4 months. Patients will have regular follow-up visits to monitor their symptoms and any side effects they experience.