View clinical trials related to Mood Disorders.
Filter by:The purpose of this study is to determine whether Imagery Rehearsal Therapy(IRT) is effective in the reduction of the number of nightmares and the nightmare distress in a population of patients with psychiatric disorders.
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.
Weight gain associated with antipsychotic medication use is a major side effect that limits the tolerability of these drugs. This often significant weight gain adversely affects health, increasing risks for developing cardiovascular disease, diabetes, sleep apnea, cancers of the colon, kidneys, uterus, endometrium and esophagus and osteoarthritis. Beasley and colleagues (1997) reported that 40.5% of olanzapine-treated patients gained more than 7% of baseline weight. Much of the olanzapine induced weight gain occurs early in treatment, and antipsychotic-naïve and young patients (Woods et al., 2002) are particularly vulnerable to this side effect. One of the most promising medications to aid weight loss in patients taking olanzapine is amantadine. Attempts at preventing weight gain are expected to be more successful than attempts to reverse it once it occurs. It is now common clinical practice to educate all patients beginning treatment with olanzapine, and other antipsychotics, about healthy eating and the need for exercise. However, despite this effort, weight gain in this population continues. Beginning a weight-stabilizing medication after a low threshold of weight gain has occurred may have significant impact on patients' health and their willingness to continue to take antipsychotics. We propose to investigate the efficacy of amantadine as a weight-stabilizing agent in a population of first-episode psychotic subjects just beginning treatment with antipsychotic agents. This population is generally young and medically healthy, without contraindications to amantadine. They are often of normal body mass index and without obesity-related medical problems. They have much to gain in preventing the weight gain which so often progresses steadily over the course of treatment, is difficult to reverse and results in significant morbidity and mortality. Additionally, the first episode psychotic population tends to take fewer concomitant psychiatric medications. This is important since these medications may cause weight gain (long term use of mirtazapine, lithium, depakote) or weight loss (short term use of SSRI's) which could confound the effectiveness of amantadine to combat weight gain.
The purpose of the study is to evaluate a new treatment to help patients who have problems because of their use of alcohol. The treatment is called Behavioral Treatment for Alcohol Abuse in Schizophrenia (BTAAS).We are interested in determining whether BTAAS is more effective in reducing use than a supportive control treatment.
The purpose of this study is to determine whether early integrated prophylactic combined medical and psychological outpatient treatment is associated with a better prognosis in patients with severe unipolar and bipolar affective disorders than standard treatment.
The primary purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of topiramate compared with placebo in the treatment of acute manic or mixed episodes in patients with Bipolar I Disorder.
This project will systematically apply a specialist version of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), known as Recovery Therapy, to a random sample of patients with psychotic disorders. Previously, the therapy has been developed and efficacy established, but the extent of applicability to (unselected) mental health service patients is unknown. The main aim is to establish the extent to which this therapy is acceptable and effective for mental health service clients. A secondary aim is to develop guidelines for the conduct of such therapy in public mental health settings.
The purpose of this study is to measure daily mood changes and to find out whether these mood changes are related to the ability to maintain attention on a task. Problems with mood are more common among women however, the association between symptoms of alcohol abuse and mood syndromes is inconsistent. First we hypothesize that women with lifetime diagnoses of alcohol abuse will not demonstrate higher symptoms of anxiety, depression, neuroticism and mood variability than control groups. Second, that the severity of these symptoms will not correlate with performance on measures of sustained attention.
The purpose of this study is to test whether cognitive behavioral therapy and bupropion hydrochloride will help cocaine users, who are depressed, reduce or end their cocaine use and improve their mood.
The purpose of this study is to determine whether or not spiritual and/or religious commitment affects mood variability and thoughts of suicide. First we hypothesize that among patients with depressive symptoms, those who have higher religious/spiritual (R/S) commitment will have less suicidal ideation and less mood variability. Second, we hypothesize that higher mood variability will be associated with more suicidal ideation. Finally, dependent on the first two hypotheses, we propose that R/S commitment will mediate the relationship between mood variability and suicidal ideation.