NIH Clinical Research Studies

Protocol Number: 03-M-0149

Active Accrual, Protocols Recruiting New Patients

Title:
Functional MRI Study of Brain Mechanism Mediating Anhedonia in Major Depression
Number:
03-M-0149
Summary:
This study will use magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to examine how the brain regulates emotions in healthy people and in patients who have major depression and anhedonia (loss of feeling of pleasure in things that normally give pleasure).

Healthy normal volunteers and patients between 18 and 50 years of age with major depression, with or without significant anhedonia, are eligible for this study. Candidates will be screened with a psychiatric interview, a physical examination that will include blood and urine samples, and an electrocardiogram, and a questionnaire about their emotions.

Participants will perform a monetary reward task while lying in an MRI scanner. The task is similar to playing a computer video game with the possibility of winning cash. The amount of cash is largely dependent on the subject's performance. The accumulated amount of cash earned in a session will fluctuate depending on the subject's continuing performance level. That is, during a single session, a subject could lose money earned early in the session if his or her performance later in the session is not as good as earlier.

MRI pictures will be taken during performance of the task. MRI uses a magnetic field and radio waves to produce images of body tissues and organs. The patient lies on a table that is moved into the scanner (a narrow cylinder) and wears earplugs to muffle loud knocking and thumping sounds that occur during the scanning process. The procedure will last about 1 to 1-1/2 hours.

Sponsoring Institute:
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Recruitment Detail
Type: Active Accrual Of New Subjects
Gender: Male & Female
Referral Letter Required: No
Population Exclusion(s): None

Eligibility Criteria:
INCLUSION CRITERIA:

PATIENT GROUP AND CONTROL GROUP:

Age 18 to 50 of any ethnicity without other significant medical conditions;

Not in active use of illicit drugs and heavy consumption of alcohol;

No metallic implants or onplants that are ferromagnetic;

Competent to sign consent forms to participate in the study.

Subjects may be enrolled as either inpatients or outpatients at their entrance to the study.

PATIENT GROUP WITH SIGNIFICANT ANHEDONIA:

Current MDD, as defined by DSM-IV criteria, with significant anhedonia defined as having PAS and/or SAS scores at or above one standard deviation of appropriate norm.

PATIENT GROUP WITHOUT SIGNIFICANT ANHEDONIA:

Current MDD, as defined by DSM-IV criteria, without significant anhedonia defined as having PAS and/or SAS scores within or below one standard deviation of appropriate norm.

CONTROL GROUP:

No prior history of any psychiatric conditions including substance dependence;

No family history of MDD, bipolar disorder, or psychosis;

PAS and/or SAS scores within or below one standard deviation of appropriate norm.

EXCLUSION CRITERIA:

Medical conditions or concomitant medications that are likely to influence cerebral blood flow or neurological function including cardiovascular, respiratory, endocrine and neurological diseases;

History of psychosis, bipolar disorder, and substance dependence;

Exposure to psychiatric medications in the past 4 weeks;

History of repeated self-mutilation or homicidal attempts, current active suicidal/ homicidal ideations;

Current or recent (within past 6 weeks) illicit drug use or heavy alcohol consumption (more than 2 six-packs of beer or equivalent alcoholic beverages per week);

Pathological gamblers as defined by DSM-IV

Special Instructions: Currently Not Provided
Keywords:
Reward
Cortex
Dopamine
Neuroimaging
Strirtum
Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)
Melancholic Features
Brain Imaging
Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI)
Dopaminergic Mechanisms
Recruitment Keywords:
Depression
Major Depressive Disorder
MDD
Healthy Volunteer
HV
Conditions:
Major Depressive Disorder
Investigational Drug(s):
None
Investigational Device(s):
None

Contacts:
Patient Recruitment and Public Liaison Office
Building 61
10 Cloister Court
Bethesda, Maryland 20892-4754
Toll Free: 1-800-411-1222
TTY: 301-594-9774 (local),1-866-411-1010 (toll free)
Fax: 301-480-9793

Electronic Mail:prpl@mail.cc.nih.gov

Citations:
Blanchard JJ, Horan WP, Brown SA. Diagnostic differences in social anhedonia: a longitudinal study of schizophrenia and major depressive disorder. J Abnorm Psychol. 2001 Aug;110(3):363-71.

PMID: 11502079

Boyer P, Tassin JP, Falissart B, Troy S. Sequential improvement of anxiety, depression and anhedonia with sertraline treatment in patients with major depression. J Clin Pharm Ther. 2000 Oct;25(5):363-71. PMID: 11123488

Barbier EL, Silva AC, Kim SG, Koretsky AP. Perfusion imaging using dynamic arterial spin labeling (DASL). Magn Reson Med. 2001 Jun;45(6):1021-9. PMID: 11378880

Active Accrual, Protocols Recruiting New Patients

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