Glutamate Probes in Adolescent Depression (NCT02307617) | Clinical Trial Compass
CompletedNot Applicable
Glutamate Probes in Adolescent Depression
United States57 participantsStarted 2014-08-01
Plain-language summary
The purpose of this study is to learn if measures of brain chemicals from a brain scan called Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Spectroscopy (MRI/MRS) and brain activity (known as cortical excitability and inhibition) collected by Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) are different in adolescents with depression who are in different stages of treatment.
Researchers are conducting this study to learn more about how the brain works in adolescents with depression and without depression (healthy controls). This is important because it may identify a biological marker (a measure of how bad an illness is) for depression that could one day be used to identify depressed adolescents who would benefit from certain treatments (medications for example) or to monitor how well treatments are working.
Who can participate
Age range13 Years – 21 Years
SexALL
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Inclusion criteria
✓. Adolescents from the ages of 13 to 21, male or female.
✓. Subjects with MDD (Groups 2, 3 \& 4):
✓. Group 1: (Healthy Controls; 50 Subjects): Healthy volunteers who are 13-21 years of age with no current or lifetime mental health diagnoses and no current or lifetime psychotropic medication treatment.
✓. Group 2: (50 subjects): Subjects with moderate to severe MDD for which an SSRI has been clinically indicated.
✓. Subject and parent or guardian (if under age 18) must be capable of providing informed consent
✓. Subjects and at least 1 parent must be fluent in English. • Subjects 18 years of age or older do not require an English-speaking parent
Exclusion criteria
✕.2 Exclusion Criteria For all Subjects:
✕. Contraindications to MRI/MRS, as determined by the MRI safety screen and MRI safety codes.
✕. Subjects who are judged by the Principal Investigator to be at imminent risk for self-harm or suicide as indicated by interview or C-SSRS.
What they're measuring
1
Concentrations of GABA and glutamate in the brains of adolescents with MDD.
Timeframe: Baseline
2
The change of GABA and glutamate concentrations in adolescents with MDD after 6 weeks of SSRI treatment.
✕. Metal in the head (except the mouth\*), implanted medication pumps, cardiac pacemaker (\*subjects with braces will be excluded from MRI/MRS portion of the study only)
✕. Prior brain surgery.
✕. Risk for increased intracranial pressure such as a brain tumor.