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Depression clinical trials at University of California Health

93 in progress, 50 open to eligible people

Showing trials for
  • Closed Loop, Doctor to Patient, Mobile Application for Depression in People With Multiple Sclerosis

    open to eligible people ages 18-80

    The researchers want to find out if an electronic application called MS CATCH can enhance patients' and doctors' experiences during and in between clinical visits. MS CATCH is a smartphone-based tool which allows patients to enter their mood related symptoms at regular intervals, which is then available to their Neurologist in their electronic medical record. The neurologist is also able to view additional information from their medical record, and receives alerts for changes reported by the patient that raise concern for the patient's mental health.

    at UCSF

  • Neuroimaging Study of Open-label Placebo in Depressed Adolescents

    open to eligible people ages 13-18

    Major depressive disorder (MDD) is the current leading cause of disability worldwide and adolescence is an especially vulnerable period for the onset of depression. Non-pharmacologic approaches are particularly attractive as treatment of adolescent depression due to the elevated risks of side effects related to the use of psychotropic drugs during development. A recent meta-analysis detected a positive and significant effect of non-deceptive placebos (open-label placebo, OLP) for a series of clinical conditions, including adult depression. To the investigators' knowledge, no studies of OLP have been conducted in depressed adolescents to date, although placebo response rates in adolescent depression are especially high, accounting for over 80% of the actual response to antidepressant treatment. The study's main objective is to estimate the effectiveness and understand the mechanism of OLP in depressed adolescents. The central hypothesis is that the mechanism by which OLP exerts its action in adolescent depression is by forming a positive expectation, which activates endogenous mu-opioid receptor (MOR)-mediated neurotransmission in a network of regions implicated in emotion, stress regulation, and the pathophysiology of MDD, namely, the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) - striato - amygdalo - thalamic network. The hypothesis has been formulated on the basis of published research and preliminary data. The investigators will test the hypothesis by performing structural and functional neuroimaging in 60 untreated 13-18 year-old adolescents with mild to moderate depression. The proposed research is significant, because it is expected to elucidate the mechanism of action of OLP and advance the understanding of the neural underpinnings of positive expectations in adolescent depression.

    at UCSF

  • Adapting and Examining Collaborative Decision Skills Training Among Veterans With Serious Mental Illness

    open to eligible people ages 18 years and up

    Recovery-oriented care is an imperative for the VA, particularly in mental health programming for Veterans with serious mental illness (SMI). Collaborative decision-making (CDM) is a recovery-oriented approach to treatment decision-making that assigns equal participation and obligation to patients and providers across all aspects of decision-making, thereby empowering patients and facilitating better decision-making based on patient values and preferences. CDM is associated with several important outcomes including improved treatment engagement, treatment satisfaction, and social functioning. However, current levels of CDM among Veterans with SMI are low, and there is not yet an evidence-based method to improve CDM. Improving Veteran skill sets associated with engaging in CDM is a potential intervention strategy. Collaborative Decision Skills Training (CDST) is a promising new intervention that was previously developed by the applicant for use in adult civilians with SMI and found to improve relevant skills and improve sense of personal recovery. The proposed study has two primary stages. First, a small, one-armed, open label trial will establish CDST's feasibility will evaluate CDST among 12 Veterans with SMI receiving services at the VA San Diego Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Recovery Center (PRRC) and identify and complete any needed adaptations to CDST. Stakeholder feedback from Veterans, VA clinicians, and VA administrators will be collected to assess Veteran needs and service context to identify any needed adaptations to the CDST manual or the delivery of CDST to maximize its impact and feasibility. The developers of CDST will review all feedback and make final decisions about adaptations to ensure that CDST retains its essential components to protect against loss of efficacy. For example, a recommendation to adjust role-play topics to better reflect the needs of Veterans would be accepted because it would increase CDST's relevance without impairing its integrity, but a recommendation to remove all role-plays would not be accepted because it would cause loss of a key component. Second, CDST will be compared to active control (AC) using a randomized clinical trial of 72 Veterans. The primary outcome measure will be functioning within the rehabilitation context, operationalized as frequency of Veteran CDM behaviors during Veteran-provider interactions. Secondary outcomes are treatment attendance, engagement, satisfaction, and motivation, along with treatment outcomes (i.e., rehabilitation goal attainment, sense of personal recovery, symptom severity, and social functioning). Three exploratory outcomes will be assessed: Veteran-initiated collaborative behaviors, acute service use and provider attitudes and behavior. Veterans will be randomly assigned to CDST or AC conditions. Veterans in the both groups will attend eight hour-long group sessions held over eight weeks. All Veterans will complete an assessment battery at baseline, post-intervention, and at three-month post-intervention follow-up. Following the trial and adaptation phase, the findings will be used to develop a CDST service delivery manual and design a logical subsequent study. The results of the proposed study will inform the potential for larger trials of CDST and the utility of providing CDST broadly to Veterans with SMI. The results of this study will expand current understanding of CDM among Veterans with SMI by providing data that will: 1) identify adaptations needed to optimize CDST for Veterans receiving services in PRRCs; 2) identify possible benefits of CDST; 3) inform development of alternate interventions or methods to improve CDM; and 4) further elucidate CDM and associated treatment processes among Veterans with SMI receiving VA rehabilitation services.

    at UCSD

  • Affect Treatment for Depression and Anxiety

    open to eligible people ages 18-65

    The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and mediators of change in Positive Affect Treatment, a psychotherapy specifically aimed at enhancing reward sensitivity in individuals with low positive affect (a core feature of anhedonia) in the context of depression or anxiety. Target enrollment is 100 male and female participants with low positive affect and depression or anxiety and impaired functioning, between the ages of 18 and 65 years, who will be randomized to either Positive Affect Treatment or Negative Affect Treatment (designed to reduce threat sensitivity). Participants will complete laboratory tests, psychiatric assessments, and self-report questionnaires as part of the study. The total length of participation is around 5 months.

    at UCLA

  • Aging and Reward System Response to Inflammation and Anxiety Study

    open to eligible people ages 60-80

    The purpose of this study is to use an experimental inflammatory challenge to examine whether older adults with symptoms of anxiety experience loss of pleasure or loss of motivation when they are exposed to inflammation. Loss of pleasure or loss of motivation will be evaluated using self-report questionnaires, computer tasks, and during a brain scan.

    at UCLA

  • Inflammatory Challenge Using Endotoxin

    open to eligible people ages 21-45

    The study design consists of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of low dose endotoxin. The low dose endotoxin challenge induces a transient systemic inflammatory response with normalization of cytokine levels within hours. This "phasic" inflammation is distinct from chronic ("tonic") levels of inflammation that may be present with AUD. A total of 38 non-treatment seeking heavy drinking men and women and 38 light drinking healthy controls will participate in the study. Recruitment will be monitored to ensure the two groups are matched by gender. Eligible participants will be randomly assigned, stratified by gender and BDI-II severity, to receive a single I.V. infusion of either low dose endotoxin (0.8 ng/kg of body weight) or placebo (same volume of 0.9% saline solution) at the UCLA Outpatient Clinical and Translational Research Center (CTRC). All participants will complete an alcohol cue-exposure paradigm and reward responsiveness assessment 2 hours post infusion, which is the time of expected peak cytokine response. All participants will also complete an fMRI alcohol cue-reactivity paradigm at 3 hours post infusion. Plasma levels of proinflammatory cytokines [i.e., Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF- α)], mood, and alcohol craving, will be assessed at baseline and then hourly for four hours post infusion.

    at UCLA

  • Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-up and Depression Treatment

    open to eligible females ages 2 years and up

    Maternal depression influences the development of children's behavior problems and vice versa; however most interventions singularly address maternal depression or children's behavior problems rather than both. This project assesses the efficacy of an intervention that treats both mothers and children in an integrated manner. Effects are expected to disrupt the reciprocal relations that perpetuate maternal and child mental health problems over time.

    at UCSF

  • Better Sleep Study

    open to eligible people ages 12-18

    The overall aim of this proposal is a confirmatory efficacy trial sufficiently powered and designed to test the hypothesis that improving the relationship between biological circadian timing and waketime, a novel modifiable target, improves depression outcomes in a subgroup of adolescents with depression and a misaligned relationship between biological circadian timing and waketime utilizing a cognitive-behavioral sleep intervention.

    at UCSF

  • Biomarkers of Depression and Treatment Response

    open to eligible people ages 18-70

    This study is a stratified, parallel-group, single-center study utilizing multimodal imaging techniques to identify biomarkers for Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). The study goal is to identify biomarkers for MDD and treatment response that can be implemented in clinical diagnosis and care as valid and reliable measures, through monitoring neurophysiological and electrophysiological changes across the course of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) treatment.

    at UCSF

  • Cellular Aging and Neurobiology of Depression Study

    open to eligible people ages 21-60

    We are conducting an eight week longitudinal study to learn if blood levels of certain naturally occurring compounds and genetic markers differ between patients with depression and healthy adults who are not depressed, and if any such differences relate to memory performance, mood, and neurobiology. We are also interested in how the gut microbiome is affected by antidepressant treatment. We will do this by comparing the unmedicated depressed patients with matched healthy controls at baseline and then following the depressed patients over the course of eight weeks of standardized antidepressant treatment to gauge which baseline abnormalities normalize over the course of treatment.

    at UCSF

  • Closed-Loop Deep Brain Stimulation for Major Depression

    open to eligible people ages 22-70

    Neurons are specialized types of cells that are responsible for carrying out the functions of the brain. Neurons communicate with electrical signals. In diseases such as major depression this electrical communication can go awry. One way to change brain function is using electrical stimulation to help alter the communication between groups of neurons in the brain. The purpose of this study is to test a personalized approach to brain stimulation as an intervention for depression. The study researchers will use a surgically implanted device to measure each individual's brain activity related to his/her depression. The researchers will then use small electrical impulses to alter that brain activity and measure whether these changes help reduce depression symptoms. This study is intended for patients with major depression whose symptoms have not been adequately treated with currently available therapies. The device used in this study is called the NeuroPace Responsive Neurostimulation (RNS) System. It is currently FDA approved to treat patients with epilepsy. The study will test whether personalized responsive neurostimulation can safely and effectively treat depression.

    at UCSF

  • Combined Neuromodulation and Cognitive Training for Post-mTBI Depression

    open to eligible people ages 18-65

    The primary goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate whether Personalized Augmented Cognitive Training (PACT) plus intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS) is effective for treating depression in Service Members, Veterans, and civilians who have sustained a mild TBI. Participants will receive PACT plus 20 sessions of iTBS or sham iTBS over 4 weeks. Assessments will occur at baseline, 2 weeks, 4 weeks, and 8 weeks. Researchers will compare the PACT+iTBS group to the PACT+sham iTBS group to see if PACT+iTBS is associated with more depression improvement.

    at UCSD

  • Combined Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation and Therapy for mTBI Related Headaches

    open to eligible people ages 18-65

    This study will assess the combined effectiveness of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and telehealth based therapy in helping manage mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) related headaches. The investigators hypothesize that active rTMS combined with telehealth therapy will provide marked reduction in mTBI related headaches and symptoms in comparison to their placebo counterparts.

    at UCSD

  • Compassion Meditation vs. Health Education for Veterans

    open to eligible people ages 18 years and up

    Chronic pain (CP) is a major health problem for military Veterans, and CP is often associated with comorbid mental health problems, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression. CP with psychological comorbidity is associated with increased healthcare costs, medication use, risk of suicide and rates of disability and reduced quality of life. Current empirically supported treatments do not always lead to substantial improvements (up to 50% of patients drop out or are do not respond to treatment). This project was designed to evaluate the efficacy of a novel intervention for addressing these challenges. Compassion meditation (CM), a meditative practice that focuses on the wish to remove suffering, is a contemplative practice that has promise for the amelioration of physical and mental health problems as well as promoting positive affect and improving quality of life. This study will evaluate the efficacy of Cognitively-Based Compassion Training for Chronic Pain with Psychological Comorbidity (CBCT-CP+) compared to Health Education while Living with Pain (H.E.L.P.) control condition, in a sample of among Veterans with CP conditions and psychological comorbidity.

    at UCSD

  • Confirmatory Efficacy and Safety Trial of Magnetic Seizure Therapy for Depression

    open to eligible people ages 18 years and up

    This trial aims to assess the efficacy and tolerability of Magnetic Seizure Therapy (MST) as an alternative to electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) for depression. Even with multiple medication trials, 30 - 40% of patients will experience a pharmacologically resistant form of illness. The ineffectiveness of current treatments for major depressive disorder (MDD) coupled with the economic burden associated with the disorder engenders a need for novel therapeutic interventions that can provide greater response and remission rates.

    at UCSD

  • Cortical Inhibition as a Biomarker of Response in a Comparison of Bilateral Versus Unilateral Accelerated Theta Burst Stimulation for Suicidal Ideation in Treatment-Resistant Depression -COMBAT-SI

    open to eligible people ages 18-70

    This is a prospective clinical trial to confirm the effectiveness of bilateral accelerated theta burst stimulation (aTBS) on suicidal ideation (SI), while exploring cortical inhibition measures in this treatment paradigm. In this proposed study, the investigators will evaluate the anti-suicidal effects of bilateral aTBS over the DLPFC compared to accelerated intermittent theta burst stimulation (aiTBS) over the left DLPFC in participants with TRD and SI. Additionally, the investigators aim to identify neurophysiological targets through which bilateral aTBS induces remission of SI in TRD differentially from aiTBS.

    at UCSD

  • Diet and Depression

    open to eligible people ages 18-70

    This study is a pilot open label crossover trial to assess the feasibility and acceptability of reducing ultra- processed foods (UPF) in a personalized manner from the diets of patients with major depressive disorder who eat a large percentage of UPF.

    at UCSF

  • COMP360 in Participants With TRD

    open to eligible people ages 18 years and up

    Efficacy, Safety, and Tolerability of a single administration of COMP360 in participants with treatment-resistant depression (TRD)

    at UCSD

  • Engaging Mothers & Babies; Reimagining Antenatal Care for Everyone (EMBRACE) Study

    open to eligible females

    This is a randomized comparative effectiveness study of two forms of enhanced prenatal care among 2,600 Medi-Cal eligible pregnant women in Fresno, California. The goal is to see whether group prenatal care with wrap around services versus individual prenatal care supplemented by services covered by the California Department of Public Health Comprehensive Perinatal Services Program (CPSP) results in lower rates of preterm birth, less depression and anxiety, and more respectful and greater satisfaction with prenatal care.

    at UCSF

  • Evaluating tDCS Brain-stimulation in Depression Using MRI

    open to eligible people ages 20-55

    Patients, physicians, and those who fund depression research are keenly interested in depression treatments that do not involve taking medications. One promising candidate treatment is transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), a low-cost technique that involves placing electrodes on specific scalp locations and using a 9-volt battery to cause a small amount of electricity to pass through parts of the brain. Depending on the direction of electrical flow, tDCS can make brain cells (neurons) more likely or less likely to generate their own electrical signals. When evaluated as a treatment, tDCS is typically done in daily sessions over a period of two weeks. One of the challenges of tDCS is to work out the best possible positioning of electrodes and direction of electricity flow to gradually cause lasting changes in brain activity in ways that might be expected to improve depression. To address this challenge, the investigators are using MRI to take pictures of the brain during tDCS. This data will help us better understand the short-term effects of tDCS in depression and help us learn how to customize future treatments to cause a lasting beneficial response. Patients with depression between the ages of 20-55 years are eligible to take part in this research. Potential participants will undergo: 1. An assessment to confirm eligibility. This will take place over a secure videoconference call lasting no more than 3 hours. 2. Two in-person study visits lasting 30 min and 2-1/2 hours respectively. In the first visit, the investigators will use the MRI to take a picture of the brain and head structure to determine appropriate locations for placing the tDCS electrodes at the start of the second visit. Following electrode placement, an MRI scan will be performed to take pictures of the brain during tDCS. Depending on the study arm, 1. Participants may receive 'active' or 'sham' tDCS. The 'sham' condition is identical to the 'active' tDCS in every way except that it involves minimal tDCS and is designed to help rule out effects unrelated to the administered tDCS electricity. 2. Participants may also be asked to perform a mental task during MRI. All participants will be compensated $150 + parking upon completion of all study-visits.

    at UCLA

  • Frequency and E-field Enhancement of ITBS for Depression (FREED)

    open to eligible people ages 18-80

    The investigators propose a randomized 3-arm double-blinded parallel experimental trial (20 sessions over 4 weeks) in 75 patients with TRD. The three arms include (1) the combination of a fully Individualized form of intermittent Theta Burst Stimulation (iTBS) (using BOTH the frequency and electric field (E-field) targeting approaches) (Ind-iTBS)), (2) iTBS individualized using E-field targeting only (targeted-iTBS) and (3) Standard iTBS treatment (i.e., typical iTBS localized to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) using the Beam F3 method). Electroencephalography (EEG) data will be collected at rest and during a working memory task, at baseline, and at the end of treatment along with clinical assessments of depression severity. The target engagement dependent variable of interest in these three arms will be fronto-parietal theta connectivity measured through resting-state EEG. The investigators hypothesize that stimulation with Ind-iTBS will lead to greater changes in fronto-parietal theta connectivity than that produced with targeted-TBS and standard iTBS. Aim: To evaluate the effects of two individualized forms of iTBS (i.e., using BOTH the frequency and E-field individualization; Ind-iTBS) compared to iTBS individualized for E-field targeting only (targeted-iTBS) and standard iTBS on fronto-parietal theta connectivity. Hypotheses: (1) Ind-iTBS will lead to greater changes in fronto-parietal theta connectivity compared to both targeted-iTBS and standard iTBS. (2) Ind-iTBS will also lead to a greater reduction in depressive symptoms (as defined by the mean reduction in Montgomery Åsberg Depression Rating Scale Scores (MADRS)) compared to both targeted-iTBS and standard iTBS.

    at UCSD

  • Healthcare Providers as Trusted Messengers to Increase Receipt of Tax Credits Among Low-income Families

    open to eligible people ages 18-99

    The purpose of this study is to pilot test the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of healthcare provider referrals to a tax filing app within parent-child health programs to test whether such referrals can increase receipt of tax credits among low-income parents. The study will use a single-group, pre/post test design with a sample of approximately 100 women who have a child under 6 years of age. Participants will be recruited from parental-child health programs and clinics in Los Angeles and will complete surveys at baseline, immediately after tax filing season, and six months after tax filing season to assess 1) frequency of tax filing after referral (Feasibility), 2) the acceptability of the tax filing app from the perspective of users (Acceptability), and 3) pre/posttest changes to parent and child health, child development, and healthcare utilization measures for users (preliminary efficacy).

    at UCLA

  • HypErthermia as an Additional Treatment for the Biology and Experience of Depression: Study 2

    open to eligible people ages 18 years and up

    This randomized two-arm intervention trial administers 8 weekly cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) sessions and 4 bi-weekly active whole-body hyperthermia (active WBH) sessions or 4 bi-weekly sham WBH sessions to adults aged 18 years or older with major depressive disorder (MDD).

    at UCSF

  • Individualized Neuromodulation for Anhedonic Depression

    open to eligible people ages 18-80

    This program of research constitutes a three-arm, randomized, placebo-controlled trial testing noninvasive brain stimulation for the treatment of anhedonic depression. This trial is part of a larger, three-site study that will be conducted at UCSD, Stanford University, and Cornell University, with the overarching goals to compare competing interventions tested at each site and to combine data that will allow for the creation of an end-to-end model of anhedonic depression. By doing this, the investigators hope to gain insight and lead to the development of brain-behavior biomarkers to identify who is best suited for the different treatment options tested at each site. An additional exploratory objective is phenotyping anhedonic depression from the acquired measures. Anhedonic patients recruited at UCSD will be randomized to one of three treatment arms to receive different forms of accelerated intermittent theta burst stimulation (aiTBS),a novel form of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) that is an FDA approved treatment for depression. These arms include: individualized accelerated iTBS (Ind-aiTBS),based on both the frequency of brain responses and electric-field (e-field) modeling of brain bioconductivity; standard accelerated iTBS (Std-aiTBS); and accelerated sham iTBS(sham). Treatment will be delivered on an accelerated schedule, over one week. Additional study sessions will occur both before and after treatment to assess for clinical, neurophysiological, and cognitive measures that will allow for both individualization of treatment and detailed assessment of the effects of the different treatment arms.

    at UCSD

  • Low-Dose Intravenous Ketamine for Adolescents With Depression and Suicidal Ideation in the Emergency Department

    open to eligible people ages 12-18

    The goal of this study is to test whether a single low-dose of IV ketamine given in the emergency department to adolescents with treatment-resistant depression and suicidal ideation can reduce depression symptoms and suicidal thoughts compared to placebo. Participants will complete depression scales at baseline, and 1 hour, 3 hours, 1 day, 3 days, and 7 days after receiving the treatment.

    at UCSD

  • Meditation Accelerated Brain Stimulation for Depression

    open to eligible people ages 18 years and up

    Repetitive Transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is an FDA-approved treatment for depression that involves brief magnetic stimulation pulses on the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) brain region. The ultimate goal of this treatment is to increase excitability and long-term plasticity in DLPFC, a brain region shown to be hypo-active in depression. Unfortunately, rTMS only has low to moderate efficacy; remission rates for patients range from ~15-30% in large randomized controlled trials. The focus of this research is to develop a next-generation rTMS protocol that is guided by the basic principles underlying brain plasticity, in order to improve the efficacy of rTMS for the treatment of depression. Specifically, in this study the investigators will test rTMS paired with a depression-relevant cognitive state of internal attention.

    at UCSD

  • Mobile Web-based Behavioral Intervention for Improving Caregiver Well-being

    open to eligible people ages 40 years and up

    Caregivers suffer great amounts of distress that significantly impacts their mental and physical well-being, yet caregivers' access to quality, evidence-based care is currently very limited. The public health significance of the proposed study is that our internet and mobile-based web intervention will (1) significantly reduce caregiver distress and improve caregivers' overall well-being, and (2) dramatically increase caregivers' access to high quality, evidence-based care at relatively low cost.

    at UCSD

  • Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) for Assessment of Depression

    open to eligible people ages 18 years and up

    Develop a NIRSIT testing protocol that can be administered in the diagnostic setting and reliably distinguishes the symptoms and severity of depression, with the help of repeated measure (up to five visits per subject) comparison of patients being treated for Major Depressive Disorder with control, non-depressed subjects.

    at UCSF

  • Neural Mechanisms of Meditation Training in Healthy and Depressed Adolescents: An MRI Connectome Study PART 2

    open to eligible people ages 14-18

    The primary objective will be to study changes in putamen connectivity and depression severity in depressed teens with meditation training. H1: Putamen node strength will increase in the training group compared to the active controls. H2: This increase in node strength will correlate with practice amount recorded by participants. H3: There will be a significant reduction in self-rated depression symptoms following the training as measured by the Reynolds Adolescent Depression Scale (RADS-2), compared to controls. H4: This reduction will correlate with the increase in putamen node strength. Design and Outcomes: The current research study design will utilize an individually randomized group treatment, open-label, active-controlled clinical trial to test the efficacy and safety of the investigator's innovative mindfulness meditation intervention (Training for Awareness Resilience and Action [TARA]) on the primary outcome (Putamen structural node strength) and secondary outcome (depression symptoms measured using Reynolds Adolescent Depression Scale [RADS-2]) in depressed adolescents between the ages of 14 to 18 years old.

    at UCSF

  • Neuromodulation for Comorbid Hoarding Disorder and Depression

    open to eligible people ages 18-70

    The primary goal of this study is to evaluate whether intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS) is effective for treating depression in people who have depression and chronic hoarding disorder (HD). The study will also evaluate whether this treatment can improve HD symptoms, cognitive performance, and brain region connectivity. The study team will investigate how the treatment works for depression, as well as other factors that can enhance or hinder treatment, such as pre-treatment level of depression, cognitive performance, or brain region connectivity.

    at UCSD

  • New Moms Mood Tracking & Wellbeing

    open to eligible females ages 18-65

    New moms can be at risk for perinatal depression (PND). The New Moms Mood Tracking and Wellbeing study is investigating mood changes, risk factors for depression and anxiety and treatment response around the time of delivery. Participants will be asked to complete three sets of online surveys between week 28 gestation and week 20 after delivery, in addition to downloading an app to collect data using their smartphone sensors and brief symptom surveys every other week. Women with elevated symptoms can participate in treatment. Women will be randomized to one of two conditions - Perinatal Psychiatric Care or Screening and Treatment for Anxiety and Depression (STAND). In Perinatal Psychiatric Care, participants will receive appointments with psychiatry clinicians. In STAND, participants will be further allocated to Online therapy with Coaching or Clinical Care, which includes both psychotherapy and psychiatry appointments. Treatment can last up to 6 months and there will be treatment related assessments for the duration of the 6 months, in addition to brief symptom surveys on a regular basis. Therefore, participation can last between 24 and 52 weeks, as both time of delivery and treatment enrollment timepoint cannot be scheduled in advance.

    at UCLA

  • Pain and Major Depressive Disorder

    open to eligible people ages 18-75

    This study will examine the effects of brain stimulation on pain symptoms associated with Major depressive disorder. This study will enroll 54 Subjects. Study subjects will be asked to complete surveys about their mood and well-being, 2 blood draws, 2 MRIs, 3 electroencephalograms, and receive 30 treatments of blinded transcranial magnetic stimulation. There is no control group as all subjects will receive some form of active treatment. Subjects are required to participate in 30-33 study visits and volunteer 40 hours of their time. Compensation for this study is $150 for completing all study activities.

    at UCLA

  • Perinatal Research on Improving Sleep and Mental Health

    open to eligible females ages 18 years and up

    The goal of this clinical trial is to compare two sleep programs in pregnant people with insomnia. The main questions it aims to answer are: 1. What is the efficacy of digital cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) versus digital sleep hygiene education (SHE) for preventing perinatal depression? 2. Is the effect of digital CBT-I on perinatal depression mediated through prenatal insomnia symptom improvement? 3. Is the effect of digital CBT-I on perinatal depression moderated by baseline depressive symptom severity? Participants will receive one of two sleep programs - SHE or CBT-I. Both involve six weekly online sessions. Participants will complete surveys and interviews until 1 year postpartum.

    at UCSF

  • PERsonalized Mood Augmentation Trial for Depressed Mood

    open to eligible people ages 15 years and up

    The goal of this open-label single-arm study is to test personalized behavioral intervention for depressed mood.

    at UCSD

  • Mirtazapine for the Dual Tx of Depression and CINV in High-Grade Glioma Pts on TMZ

    open to eligible people ages 18 years and up

    The purpose of the study is to estimate the ability of mirtazapine to reduce depression, nausea, and vomiting, and maintain weight in depressed glioma patients undergoing Temozolomide (TMZ) therapy. Of equal importance, the investigators will monitor the tolerability of Mirtazapine in these patients over the course of the study.

    at UC Irvine

  • Positive Affect Treatment for Adolescents With Early Life Adversity

    open to eligible people ages 12-16

    Youth exposed to early life adversity (ELA) are known to be at greater risk for depression and suicidality and account for almost half of the youth suffering from psychiatric diseases today. Youth exposed to ELA consistently report symptoms of anhedonia as well as dysregulated positive affect. The present project will test the efficacy of PAT in a sample of ELA-exposed adolescents in order to determine whether PAT increases positive affect, and subsequently symptoms of depression. For this pilot, the investigators will recruit 22 adolescents exposed to two or more childhood adversities (ACEs) who do not currently have major depressive disorder, and randomize them (1:1) to either participate in PAT or a waitlist control condition. At study enrollment, then 4-, 8, and 12-months thereafter the investigators will measure positive affect and depressive symptoms (including anhedonia). The results of this study will be used to inform whether PAT has the potential to prevent major depressive episodes among adversity-exposed youth.

    at UC Irvine

  • Project 2: Optimizing Engagement and Outcomes in STAND Digital Therapy

    open to eligible people ages 18-40

    The goal is to optimize peer coaching in order to optimize engagement and outcomes in digital therapy. The unmet mental health needs of community college students are staggering and a growing body of research demonstrates that therapy provided digitally with the assistance of trained community members without advanced degrees in mental health is an effective and scalable way to address these needs. Despite being effective for improving symptoms and functioning in those who engage in it, uptake and engagement in digital therapy is generally quite low. Recent research suggests that this is especially true of Latinx individuals, who tend to have unique and significant unmet mental health needs. To address these issues, Project 2 will examine treatment engagement, treatment satisfaction, symptoms and functioning outcomes among Latinx students at East Los Angeles College (ELAC) receiving digital therapy with peer coaching in the STAND program.

    at UCLA

  • Psilocybin Therapy for Depression in Bipolar II Disorder

    open to eligible people ages 18-70

    The purpose of this study is to determine the safety, tolerability, and feasibility of psilocybin therapy in people with Bipolar II Disorder.

    at UCSF

  • Pupillary Unrest as an Indicator of Central Opioid Effect in Subjects 40-60 Years of Age

    open to eligible people ages 40-60

    This study will establish the relationship between magnitude of opioid exposure and a pupillary measure referred to as PUAL (pupillary unrest in ambient light), in subjects aged 40-60. Previous investigation demonstrated that loss of PUAL was a sensitive, discriminative indicator of opioid toxicity and respiratory depression among subjects aged 20-40 years old. Population data indicate that pupil size and PUAL decline slightly with age. The investigators will explore whether PUAL proves to be a sensitive indicator of opioid exposure and respiratory depression in this older group.

    at UCSF

  • Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

    open to all eligible people

    Veterans with comorbid chronic pain and depression are highly prevalent, have poor functional status and low quality of life, are at increased risk of suicide and lack access to effective treatments. To address this problem, the proposed research will examine the feasibility of a novel approach that integrates repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy with the overall goal of maximizing functional improvement in Veterans with chronic pain and depression. This is an important first-step in preparation for a future randomized efficacy trial. The investigators will also include two cognitive control tasks with concurrent electroencephalography to explore as a potential objective indicator of treatment response. This application addresses a critical need within the Veterans Health Administration and is closely aligned with the focus area of developing suicide prevention treatments that influence participation in life roles.

    at UCSD

  • Resources, Inspiration, Support and Empowerment (RISE) for Black Pregnant Women

    open to eligible females ages 18-65

    Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders (PMADs) encompass a range of mental health disorders that occur during pregnancy and up to one year postpartum. Approximately 13% of women experience PMADs. This rate doubles for those with adverse perinatal outcomes (APO) and triples in Black women. Recent research points to racism as one significant source of these health disparities. Cultural adaptations to improve communication with providers decrease rates of depression in minority patients as well as improve adherence to treatment, insight and alliance. Discrimination stress and worries about experiencing medical consequences are thought to increase systemic inflammation, a mechanism known to drive mental and physical symptoms. Inflammation has been implicated in both PMADs and APO, suggesting a shared underlying etiology. Evidence from our work suggests that inflammation contributes to the pathophysiology of PMADs. The proposed pilot randomized control trial will allow the investigators to build on promising preliminary results and identify whether our culturally relevant mobile Health (mHealth) intervention is effective in improving outcomes among Black pregnant women randomized to the intervention compared to a control group. The culturally relevant modules include building communication and self-advocacy skills and provide a support network. The primary objective of this research is to provide guidance for clinical care of Black women during the perinatal period, with the goal to improve mental health and physical health outcomes. A secondary goal is to examine novel inflammatory signatures that change as a function of the intervention to reduce PMADs in this population. As inflammation may be diagnostic of PMADs, identification of its role may shed light of potential intervention targets and provide critical knowledge to improve women's long-term health. PMAD symptoms will be assessed prospectively in 150 Black pregnant women, half of whom will be randomized to receive the culturally relevant mHealth intervention. The investigators hypothesize that women in the intervention group will have reduced rates of PMADs and APOs, an increase in adherence to mental health treatment and will report increased self-advocacy skills, increased communication with providers, and reduced levels of discrimination related stress. Participants will also have improved biological risk indicators including lower circulating C-reactive protein and a transcription profile of differentially expressed inflammatory genes, marked by a decreased activity of inflammatory transcription factors from blood spots. Given the high burden of both PMADs and APOs among Black mothers and the numerous consequences on maternal and child outcomes, it is imperative that investigators develop and implement effective interventions, and test the biological mechanisms that might drive these effects. This work is interdisciplinary, building on a network of community advocates to implement a novel mHealth intervention informed by real world experiences designed to enhance self-advocacy, reduce stress and prevent adverse outcomes

    at UCLA

  • rTMS in Alleviating Pain and Co-Morbid Symptoms in Gulf War Veterans Illness (GWVI)

    open to eligible people ages 18-65

    This study aims to look at the effectiveness of using repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) in relieving pain and other co-morbid symptoms of Gulf War Illness.

    at UCSD

  • S.T.A.N.D. Alacrity Center Signature Project

    open to eligible people ages 18-40

    The purpose of this study is to evaluate clinical decision-making algorithms for (a) triaging to level of care and (b) adapting level of care in a low income, highly diverse sample of community college students at East Los Angeles College (ELAC). The target enrollment is 200 participants per year, for five years (N=1000). Participants are between the ages of 18 and 40 years and will be randomized into either symptom severity decision-making (SSD) or data-driven decision-making (DDD). Participants in each condition will be triaged to one of three levels of care, including self-guided online prevention, coach-guided online cognitive behavioral therapy, and clinician-delivered care. After initial triaging, level of care will be adapted throughout the entire time of the study enrollment. Participants will complete computerized assessments and self-report questionnaires as part of the study. Recruitment will take place in the first two to four months of each academic year. The total length of participation is 40 weeks.

    at UCLA

  • Sleep and Healthy Aging Research for Depression (SHARE-D) Study

    open to eligible people ages 60-80

    Late-life depression is a significant public health concern, and effective interventions for prevention and treatment are needed. Insomnia and inflammation are modifiable targets for depression prevention, and this study is significant in using an experimental approach (i.e., inflammatory challenge) to probe acute inflammatory- and depression responses as a function of insomnia, which will inform identification of molecular targets for pharmacologic interventions, and improvement of insomnia treatments to prevent depression in older adults. Project

    at UCLA

  • The Reducing Risk Study

    open to eligible people ages 12-18

    The present study will test an innovative mobile health adaptation of a behavioral intervention that improves sleep and mental health concerns among adolescents.

    at UCSF

  • Electrophysiology to Index Non-invasive Brain Stimulation Effects on Reward System Functioning in Depression

    open to eligible people ages 18-65

    Depression is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality, conferring substantial healthcare and societal costs. By studying methods to non-invasively target neural circuitry involved in reward responsivity, information generated by this project will improve understanding of the circuit alterations that underlie motivation and pleasure deficits in depression, and could also lead to the development of biologically-based markers of neurostimulation-based treatment response.

    at UCSF

  • Virtual Reality-Reward Training for Anhedonia

    open to eligible people ages 18 years and up

    The purpose of this study is to compare the effects of Virtual Reality-Reward Training (VR-RT) with an active control condition, Virtual Reality-Memory Training (VR-MT), on positive affect and other clinical symptoms. VR-Reward Training is a novel intervention aimed at enhancing savoring of positive experiences among individuals with depression and low positive affect through guided imaginal recounting following immersion in positive VR experiences. Target enrollment is 80 male and female participants with low positive affect, depression, and impaired functioning, who are at least 18 years old, who will be randomly assigned to 7 weeks of either Virtual Reality-Reward Training (VR-RT) or Virtual Reality-Memory Training (VR-MT). Participants will complete in-person VR sessions, laboratory assessments, self-report questionnaires as part of the study. The total length of participation is around 3 months.

    at UCLA

  • Inflammatory and Glutamatergic Mechanisms of Sustained Threat in Adolescents With Depression

    open to eligible people ages 14-21

    Despite the prevalence and significant public health concern over depression among adolescents, up to 40% of depressed adolescents do not respond to first-line antidepressants (herein termed treatment non-response, TNR). The goal of this project is to recruit and assess 160 treatment-seeking depressed adolescents and test whether acute stress impacts peripheral levels of inflammation and downstream levels of glutamate in corticolimbic regions previously associated with depression, whether these stress-related biomarkers predict TNR to a 12-week trial of either fluoxetine or escitalopram, and whether these stress-related biomarkers predict 18-month clinical course.

    at UC Irvine UCLA UCSF

  • Reward Processing and Depressive Subtypes: Identifying Neural Biotypes

    open to eligible people ages 18-70

    Deficits in motivation and pleasure are common in depression, and thought to be caused by alterations in the ways in which the brain anticipates, evaluates, and adaptively uses reward-related information. However, reward processing is a complex, multi-circuit phenomenon, and the precise neural mechanisms that contribute to the absence or reduction of pleasure and motivation are not well understood. Variation in the clinical presentation of depression has long been a rule rather than an exception, including individual variation in symptoms, severity, and treatment response. This heterogeneity complicates understanding of depression and thwarts progress toward disease classification and treatment planning. Discovery of depression-specific biomarkers that account for neurobiological variation that presumably underlies distinct clinical manifestations is critical to this larger effort.

    at UCSF

  • SKY Breath Intervention

    open to eligible people ages 16-24

    Depression is highly debilitating and prevalent among adolescents. Adolescent-onset depression is associated with long, severe, and recurrent episodes that are often not responsive to treatment. There is a dire need to develop novel treatments that are efficient, cost-effective, and tolerant for this population. Sudarshan Kriya Yoga (SKY) is a breath-based meditative practice that entails a sequence of specific breathing techniques to help practitioners achieve a state of calm alertness. It has offered benefits as a therapeutic option for mild-to-moderate depression and anxiety disorders and as an adjunctive treatment in patients with major depressive disorder, but the neurological mechanism of SKY breath intervention is still not fully understood. The goal of this study is to determine the efficacy of SKY breath intervention in treating depressed adolescents and to understand its mechanisms. In this study, thirty depressed adolescents and thirty healthy controls will be recruited to evaluate the efficacy of the 8-week SKY intervention. Assessment for depression and anxiety, salivary cortisol, resting heart rate, blood pressure, and neuroimaging will be collected at the baseline, 4 weeks into SKY intervention (questionnaires only), and post-intervention. This will be the first study to evaluate the potential benefits of of SKY breath intervention as a treatment option for depressed adolescents.

    at UCSF

  • Blinded Trial Demonstrating the Safety and Effectiveness of VNS Therapy® System as Adjunctive Therapy Versus a No Stimulation Control in Subjects With Treatment-Resistant Depression

    Sorry, not currently recruiting here

    Objectives of this study are to determine whether active VNS Therapy treatment is superior to a no stimulation control in producing a reduction in baseline depressive symptom severity, based on multiple depression scale assessment tools at 12 months from randomization.

    at UCSD

  • Esketamine Nasal Spray, Administered as Monotherapy, in Adult Participants With Treatment-resistant Depression

    Sorry, in progress, not accepting new patients

    The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of each individual dose of esketamine nasal spray, 56 milligram (mg) and 84 mg, compared with placebo nasal spray in improving depressive symptoms in participants with treatment resistant depression (TRD), as assessed by the change from baseline in the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) total score from Day 1 (prerandomization) to the end of the 4 week double-blind treatment phase (Day 28).

    at UCSD UCSF

  • Amplification of Positivity for Alcohol Use Disorder Co-Occurring With Anxiety or Depression

    Sorry, currently not accepting new patients, but might later

    The purpose of this study is to examine the feasibility of a protocol in which individuals with comorbid depression or anxiety disorders and alcohol use disorder will be randomized to complete Amplification of Positivity for Alcohol Use Disorder (AMP-A)- a psychological treatment focused on increasing positive thoughts, emotions, and behaviors- or a traditional cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) intervention. Assessed outcomes will include participant acceptability and completion rates, participant compliance with the intervention, positive and negative affect, substance use- and depression and anxiety-related symptom severity, and functional disability.

    at UCSD

  • Amplification of Positivity to Enhance Social Connections in Anxiety and Depression

    Sorry, in progress, not accepting new patients

    The overall goal of this project is to develop a novel transdiagnostic behavioral treatment -- Amplification of Positivity (AMP) -- intended to enhance positive social connections in individuals with elevated anxiety and/or depression. Social relationship impairments are common and debilitating consequences of anxiety and depression. Existing treatments have some beneficial impact on social functioning; however, many people continue to have few and/or poor quality relationships following treatment, even after experiencing symptom relief. This study will evaluate the effects of AMP on the brain systems that have been shown to be important for establishing positive connections with others. Approximately 100 individuals (ages 18-55) seeking treatment for anxiety or depression will participate in this study. Participants will be randomly assigned with equal probability to either AMP or stress management training (SMT) (6 sessions each). Participants will be assessed at baseline and post-treatment and compared on measures assessing brain responses to social reward (primary outcome), as well as physiological, behavioral, and emotional responses to social reward (secondary outcomes). It is hypothesized that the AMP group will experience greater increases from pre- to post-treatment in activity in brain systems that regulate the processing of social reward cues (e.g., striatum) relative to participants in the SMT group. It is also hypothesized that changes in brain activation to social reward from pre- to post-treatment will be correlated with the degree of improvement in social connectedness.

    at UCSD

  • Bipolar Efficacy Biomarkers for rTMS

    Sorry, in progress, not accepting new patients

    The research study is being conducted to test whether using high dose spaced theta-burst rTMS (a form of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation) produces a significant reduction in depressive symptoms compared with sham. This project will recruit patients aged 18-70 with symptoms of bipolar depression (BPD) who have failed (or not shown signs of improvement) after at least two prior treatments. The null hypothesis is that there will be no difference in reductions in depressive symptoms by the end of a five-day treatment period. The alternative hypothesis is that, compared with sham, active TMS will result in a greater reduction in depressive symptoms by the end of the treatment period. To facilitate the development of rTMS protocols there is a need for biomarkers that are sensitive to BPD symptom severity and clinical improvement. Previously in our lab, investigators developed biomarkers suitable for depression trials, and these biomarkers are very likely to show sensitivity to BPD, since they are associated with brain regions and functions associated with BPD. As a secondary aim, the investigators will try to identify biomarkers in cortical region associated with BPD, and formulate a statistical model that may be able to predict BPD remission after the treatment. this study will lead to development of new brain stimulation treatment protocols and biomarkers, will aid in treatment selection, and eventually lead to better clinical outcome for patients suffering from BPD.

    at UCSD

  • By Youth, For Youth: Digital Supported Peer Navigation for Addressing Child Mental Health Inequities

    Sorry, not yet accepting patients

    Black and Latino youth are more likely to experience an unmet mental health or psychosocial need than do their white counterparts. Schools and primary care clinics are ideal hubs to provide mental health, healthcare, social services, and prevention to students and families who otherwise face barriers to care. Using Participatory Design and Community Partnered Participatory Research (CPPR) for app development, mobile technology is designed to optimize access to wellness resources. The proposed intervention is a model of care using technology and navigators for connecting youth ages 13-22 to mental health care and supports. The app is co-created with the community and supported by culturally responsive individuals called family and youth navigators, in schools and primary care clinics. Outcomes are measured using the cascade of care model.

    at UCLA UCSF

  • Collaboration Leading to Addiction Treatment and Recovery From Other Stresses

    Sorry, accepting new patients by invitation only

    Collaboration Leading to Addiction Treatment and Recovery from Other Stresses (CLARO) is a five-year project that tests whether delivering care using a collaborative model helps patients with both opioid use disorders and mental health disorders.

    at UCLA

  • Competitive Revision for CLARO: Collaboration Leading to Addiction Treatment and Recovery From Other Stresses

    Sorry, in progress, not accepting new patients

    The purpose of this study is to develop and then test an enhanced version of the parent study's collaborative care intervention for co-occurring disorders (CC-COD) to reduce the risk of suicide and overdose among individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD) in combination with PTSD/depression. The parent study is CLARO, Collaboration Leading to Addiction Treatment and Recovery from Other Stresses (NCT04559893).

    at UCLA

  • Compressed Intermittent Theta Burst Stimulation

    Sorry, in progress, not accepting new patients

    In this proposal the investigators will use an accelerated TMS protocol that concentrates the magnetic stimulation that would usually occur over 6 weeks into 10 treatment sessions per days, for 5 consecutive days in patient with treatment-refractory depression. This protocol will build on a previously published study demonstrating clinical efficacy of intermittent theta-burst stimulation (iTBS) on left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (L-dlPFC) in a treatment refractory population.

    at UCSD

  • Effectiveness and Implementation of eScreening in Post 9/11 Transition Programs

    Sorry, in progress, not accepting new patients

    Electronic screening is effective for timely detection of, and intervention for, suicidal ideation and other mental health symptoms. The VA eScreening program is a patient self-report electronic screening system that has shown promise for the efficient and effective collection of mental and physical health information among Veterans. However, additional effectiveness and implementation research is warranted to evaluate the impact of eScreening within VHA. This study will address questions of the impact of eScreening compared to screening as usual, while evaluating a multi-component implementation strategy (MCIS) for optimal enterprise rollout of eScreening in VA Transition Care Management clinics.

    at UCSD

  • Intravenous (IV) Citalopram Hydrochloride During Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation in Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)

    Sorry, in progress, not accepting new patients

    This study will recruit 30 subjects diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). Subjects will be recieve one infusion treatment of citalopram or placebo and 10 treatments of a form of transcranial magnetic stimulation, theta burst stimulation (TBS). Subjects will also undergo brain scans, quantitative electroencephalography (qEEG) brain activity recordings, and mood surveys. Study activities will be performed over the course of 4 weeks.

    at UCLA

  • Enhancing Transdiagnostic Mechanisms of Cognitive Dyscontrol (R33)

    Sorry, not yet accepting patients

    The proposed project aims to test the cognitive and neural effects of a cognitive training in a sample of individuals seeking treatment for anxiety, depression, or traumatic stress symptoms. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two groups. Group 1 will receive a computer-based program that is designed as a cognitive training intervention and Group 2 will receive a similar computer-based exercise that researchers think will be less effective in training thinking skills (also known as a control or sham condition). Participants will be compared on cognitive performance and brain response during cognitive tasks from baseline to post-treatment.

    at UCSD

  • Mindfulness in Woman With a History of Child Adversity

    Sorry, in progress, not accepting new patients

    The aim of this pilot Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) is to test whether brief mindfulness-based practices will improve well-being and health in women (age 30-50) with a history of early life adversity. Following a baseline visit (remotely via Zoom), participants are randomized (50% probability) to either a Mindful Activity group or a Mindful Awareness group. In the Mindful Activity group, participants will complete brief (approximately 5-10 min) audio-guided mindfulness practices twice a day (morning and evening) for 8 weeks using the study app. This is followed by a brief survey about their current thoughts and feelings. In the Mindful Awareness group, participants are asked to be mindful (pay attention) to their thoughts and feelings twice a day (morning and evening) for 8 weeks using the study app. After the 8-week intervention period, all participants complete a follow-up visit (remotely). Primary goals of the pilot RCT are to test acceptability, feasibility, and adherence.

    at UCSF

  • iCBT With TMS in Patients With MDD

    Sorry, in progress, not accepting new patients

    Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a common mental health diagnosis. While there are many approaches to the treatment of MDD, current treatments of MDD often do not substantially reduce depressive symptoms among those in need of care. Prior research suggests that combining cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and psychopharmacology can produce optimal treatment outcomes compared to the use of either treatment individually. Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) is one promising brain stimulation approach used to treat MDD, especially among patients with treatment-resistant symptoms. Like psychopharmacological interventions, TMS may produce optimal treatment outcomes when paired with CBT. However, standard TMS protocols are time-intensive, typically requiring daily doctor visits for one hour of six to eight weeks. Therefore, an internet-delivered CBT protocol may augment the effects of TMS without substantially increasing patient burden. To that end, the present study assesses if a combined TMS and internet-delivered CBT protocol may produce superior treatment outcomes compared with TMS alone.

    at UCLA

  • In-patient SCC TMS

    Sorry, accepting new patients by invitation only

    The investigators are studying the feasibility, safety, and tolerability of administering accelerated repetitive Transcranial magnetic stimulation(a-rTMS) at frequencies other than standard 10 Hz for in-patient Subjects diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder. Participants will be recruited from the Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital. This study will enroll 30 participants who will undergo up to three brain activity recordings, one MRI scan, one TMS procedure to determine the appropriate frequency and intensity for treatment, daily symptom assessments, and 25 TMS treatments. Participants will be asked to participate for up to 2 weeks.

    at UCLA

  • Intergenerational Transmission of Traumatic Stress

    Sorry, in progress, not accepting new patients

    Millions of U.S. parents have experienced trauma, putting them at risk for maladaptive parenting practices, which then confer vulnerabilities to their children. This study aims to enhance understanding of how parental emotional dysregulation associated with traumatic stress impedes effective parenting. The study employs neurophysiological methods (electroencephalogram; EEG) to address some of the challenges inherent in the study of emotion (particularly in trauma-exposed individuals) and to identify potential biomarkers of traumatic stress and response to intervention.

    at UCLA

  • Intermittent Theta Burst Stimulation for MDD

    Sorry, in progress, not accepting new patients

    This study will evaluate the effectiveness of intermittent Theta Burst Stimulation for patients with Major Depressive Disorder.

    at UCLA

  • LIFUP in Anhedonic Depression

    Sorry, accepting new patients by invitation only

    This study will observe changes in brain imaging, behavior, and symptom measures following intervention with low intensity focused ultrasound pulsation (LIFUP) targeting reward circuitry in individuals who are depressed and anhedonic.

    at UCLA

  • Ketamine for Veterans With Parkinson's Disease

    Sorry, not yet accepting patients

    Parkinson's disease (PD) is a devastating illness that has a growing impact on Veterans. One of the most disabling symptoms is depression, which is common in PD and linked to poor quality of life and higher risk of suicide. Unfortunately, there is a lack of effective treatments for depression in PD. Ketamine, which has rapid and potent antidepressant effects, is a potential option but has not been tested in Veterans with PD. Studies in rodents show that ketamine may not only improve depression in PD, it may target two of the underlying drivers of the disease: (1) reduced neuroplasticity, or the brain's ability to adapt and remodel itself; and (2) elevated inflammation. The investigators are conducting a randomized, placebo-controlled study to examine if a dose of intravenous (IV) ketamine improves depression in Veterans with PD. The investigators will also examine ketamine's effects on neuroplasticity and inflammation, which will help us understand how ketamine works in PD and if it can be a useful treatment for Veterans with the disease. This study will lay groundwork for a larger clinical trial across multiple VA sites.

    at UCSF

  • Optimizing Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) Maintenance

    Sorry, in progress, not accepting new patients

    Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) combines meditation practices from Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) with cognitive behavioral therapy to improve mental health. Although there is evidence that MBCT provides a variety of mental health benefits, it is particularly designed to prevent depression relapse, which occurs in 80% of people with a history of two episodes of depression. MBCT reduces depression relapse rates by 30%, on average after an eight-week course, and has lower relapse rates than continuing antidepressant medication. However, it is unknown what should be done following the program to optimize its long-term benefit. The investigators plan to conduct a pilot study in preparation for larger-scale clinical trial to determine the most effective maintenance approaches once MBCT has ended. The investigators gathered stakeholder input from MBCT graduates and MBCT teachers to inform the development of maintenance programs for MBCT. From this the investigators formulated several components of a maintenance program for MBCT. This includes providing a booster course for people who have already completed the MBCT program. This will be delivered as a 4-week course, meeting weekly, followed by monthly sessions to help participants build self-efficacy and agency with regard to creating their own plan for relapse prevention. This booster course is adapted from a 12-week program developed by Dr. Willem Kuyken at the Oxford Centre for Mindfulness. The team is planning the following sessions: 1 Deepening mindfulness with a focus on interoceptive awareness. 2) Hedonic system: Appreciating the light within. This would focus on positive emotion. 3) Responding not reacting 4) Two themes: taking care of ourselves, taking care of others. Integrating lessons into daily life with regards to sleep, diet, healthy relationships, behavioral activation. The study will also provide monthly follow-up sessions. The current study is a pilot study aimed at refining the intervention, providing initial data on acceptability and feasibility, and preliminary use of outcome measures in the context of the proposed study design.

    at UCSF

  • Parenting STAIR: Adapting a Trauma-Focused Parenting Intervention for Military-Connected Mothers and Their Children

    Sorry, not yet accepting patients

    The purpose of this study, which includes a clinical trial, is to adapt and assess the efficacy of Parenting-STAIR (PSTAIR), an intervention which combines existing evidence-based treatments Skills Training in Affective and Interpersonal Regulation (STAIR) and Parent-Child Care (PC-Care) to reduce symptoms of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and improve parenting among military-connected mothers. Participants in the clinical trial will receive PSTAIR or trauma-focused treatment as usual (either prolonged exposure or cognitive processing therapy).

    at UC Davis

  • Personalized Brain Stimulation to Treat Chronic Concussive Symptoms

    Sorry, not yet accepting patients

    The goal of this study is to investigate a new treatment for chronic symptoms after concussion or mild traumatic brain injury in people aged 18-65 years old. Chronic symptoms could include dizziness, headache, fatigue, brain fog, memory difficulty, sleep disruption, irritability, or anxiety that occurred or worsened after the injury. These symptoms can interfere with daily functioning, causing difficulty returning to physical activity, work, or school. Previous concussion therapies have not been personalized nor involved direct treatments to the brain itself. The treatment being tested in the present study is a noninvasive, personalized form of brain stimulation, called transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). The investigators intend to answer the questions: 1. Does personalized TMS improve brain connectivity after concussion? 2. Does personalized TMS improve avoidance behaviors and chronic concussive symptoms? 3. Do the improvements last up to 2 months post-treatment? 4. Are there predictors of treatment response, or who might respond the best? Participants will undergo 14 total visits to University of California Los Angeles (UCLA): 1. One for the baseline symptom assessments and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) 2. Ten for TMS administration 3. Three for post-treatment symptom assessments and MRIs Participants will have a 66% chance of being assigned to an active TMS group and 33% chance of being assigned to a sham, or inactive, TMS group. The difference is that the active TMS is more likely to cause functional changes in the brain than the inactive TMS.

    at UCLA

  • Pramipexole to Enhance Social Connections

    Sorry, not yet accepting patients

    This study seeks to understand if the medication pramipexole improves social connectedness and functioning in adults (ages 18-50) who experience anxiety or depression. The study plans to enroll 108 participants total across two sites (University of California San Diego and New York State Psychiatric Institute). Pramipexole will be given in a 6-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Social reward processing will be assessed using measures of brain function (fMRI), behavior, and self-report at baseline and week 6. Knowledge gained from this study will help determine the therapeutic potential of targeting the dopamine system to remediate social disconnection as an anxiety and depression intervention.

    at UCSD

  • Psilocybin Therapy for Depression and Anxiety in Parkinson's Disease

    Sorry, in progress, not accepting new patients

    The purpose of this study is to determine the safety, tolerability, and feasibility of psilocybin therapy for depression and anxiety in people with Parkinson's disease.

    at UCSF

  • Psilocybin-assisted CBT for Depression

    Sorry, accepting new patients by invitation only

    The primary objectives of this clinical investigation are to (1) determine the feasibility of joining psilocybin treatment with CBT (cognitive-behavioral therapy) for patients with depression, (2) optimize CBT to most effectively integrate the psilocybin experience with psychotherapy and (3) determine the initial efficacy of psilocybin as an adjunct to cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for major depressive disorder. Psilocybin will be administered orally in two doses during the course of 12 sessions of CBT to eligible study participants - a 10mg dose following the third session and a 25mg dose following the sixth session. Participants will be in active treatment for the first 4 months (psilocybin + CBT) of the study and then followed for an additional 3-months following the termination of CBT.

    at UCLA

  • PST in Surgery: Feasibility and Acceptability Pilot

    Sorry, not yet accepting patients

    The goal of this clinical trial is to test problem solving therapy (PST) in older adults who are undergoing major surgery. The main question it aims to answer is: • What is the feasibility and acceptability of delivering PST to older surgical patients with depressive symptoms or report lacking social support in the pre-operative and post-operative setting?

    at UCSF

  • Psychostimulant Augmentation of Repetitive TMS for the Treatment of Major Depressive Disorder

    Sorry, accepting new patients by invitation only

    This study analyzes the affects or Adderall extended-release (XR) in Subjects receiving brain stimulation therapy for the treatment of Major Depressive Disorder. Subjects will be assigned by chance to active or placebo group. Active group will be asked to take one 15 mg pill once daily of Adderall XR (amphetamine) and the Placebo group will be asked take an identical appearing tablet/capsule, one tablet by mouth daily. The placebo tablet has no active ingredients and has no affect on the body or mind. With the exception of the study drug, all other study activities between both groups will be identical. Subjects will use the assigned study drug two weeks before therapy and throughout the first 10 therapy treatments. A total of seven(7) visits will be required for screening, drug assignment, and completion of mood assessments. This study will enroll a total of 30 Subjects.

    at UCLA

  • RCT of Brain Longitudinal Biomarker Study (OPT-Neuro RCT)

    Sorry, in progress, not accepting new patients

    The purpose of this study is to assess which antidepressants work the best in older adults who have treatment-resistant depression (TRD), and to test whether treatment-resistant late life depression is associated with declines in memory and attention and brain structure and function.

    at UCLA

  • Sleep and Healthy Aging Research on Depression for Younger Women

    Sorry, in progress, not accepting new patients

    Compelling evidence indicates inflammation plays a role in depression, but potential mechanisms linking inflammation to depression, such as dysregulated reward processing, are poorly understood. This study comprehensively evaluates effects of inflammation on reward across dimensions (e.g., anticipating versus receiving a reward) and types (e.g., money vs. smiling faces) in younger and older women. Characterizing how inflammation shapes the dynamic and multidimensional reward system, and how this may differ by age, may give insight into risk factors for depression and help identify critical points for intervention.

    at UCLA

  • Spatiotemporal Dynamics of the Human Emotion Network

    Sorry, accepting new patients by invitation only

    The overall goal of this study is to elucidate how emotion network dynamics relate to the behavioral, autonomic, and experiential changes that accompany emotions and to investigate how emotion network dysfunction relates to affective symptoms. Affective symptoms are a common feature of neuropsychiatric disorders that reflect dysfunction in a distributed brain network that supports emotion. How aberrant functioning in a single emotion network underlies a wide range of affective symptoms, such as depression and anxiety, is not well understood. Anchored by the anterior cingulate cortex and ventral anterior insula, the emotion network responds to numerous affective stimuli. The recording of neural activity directly from the cortical surface from individuals is a promising approach since intracranial electroencephalography (iEEG) can provide direct estimates of neuronal populations to map the spatiotemporal dynamics of the emotion network at a millisecond level resolution. This study will exam how activity within emotion network hubs changes during emotions and how emotion network properties make some individuals more vulnerable to affective symptoms than others. A multidisciplinary approach is critical for understanding the dynamic brain network to advance neuroanatomical models of emotions and for guiding the development of novel treatments for affective symptoms.

    at UCSF

  • Spectral Correlation Coefficient-based TMS

    Sorry, accepting new patients by invitation only

    This study will analyze the feasibility, safety, and tolerability of administering repetitive Transcranial magnetic stimulation(TMS) at frequencies other than standard 10 Hz. This study will enroll 10 subjects who will undergo one quantitative electroencephalograph, one TMS procedure to determine the appropriate frequency and intensity for treatment, weekly mood/symptom assessments, and up to 30 TMS treatments. Subjects will be asked to participate for up to 6 weeks.

    at UCLA

  • Spectral Correlation Coefficient-determine TMS for Depression

    Sorry, accepting new patients by invitation only

    This study will investigate the feasibility, safety, and tolerability of administering repetitive Transcranial magnetic stimulation(TMS) at frequencies other than standard 10 Hz. This study will enroll 10 subjects who will undergo one quantitative electroencephalograph, one TMS procedure to determine the appropriate frequency and intensity for treatment, weekly mood/symptom assessments, and up to 30 TMS treatments. Subjects will be asked to participate for up to 6 weeks.

    at UCLA

  • NBI-1065845 in Adults With Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)

    Sorry, in progress, not accepting new patients

    The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of NBI-1065845 compared with placebo in participants with MDD on improving symptoms of depression.

    at UCSF

  • Supporting Peer Interactions to Expand Access to Digital Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Spanish-speaking Patients

    Sorry, not yet accepting patients

    Investigators will evaluate the implementation of an evidence-based, Spanish-language, digital, cognitive-behavioral therapy intervention (SilverCloud) in primary care settings for Latino patients with depression and/or anxiety. 426 participants will be enrolled in a two-armed trial comparing self-guided vs. supported dCBT (SilverCloud). At the provider level, investigators will compare the efficacy of provider referrals with the use of a clinic patient registry to identify candidates who could benefit from a digital mental health intervention.

    at UC Irvine UCSF

  • Telepsychology in Spinal Cord Injury

    Sorry, in progress, not accepting new patients

    This study will determine the effectiveness of tele-psychology in treating persons with spinal cord injury (SCI) with depressed mood in the early period post-rehabilitation discharge. Depression among individuals with SCI is the most common psychological condition following an injury; 22% of civilians with SCI and 28% of veterans with SCI experience depression after injury, which is higher than the able-bodied population (Williams 2015; Ullrich 2014). Individuals with SCI face many barriers in receiving psychotherapy, such as lack of accessible transportation, unfamiliarity with community resources, or stigma associated with seeking treatment for depression, which this project aims to address. Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT), which helps people develop different ways of thinking and behaving to reduce their psychological distress, will be provided via iPad FaceTime by a psychologist with expertise in working with persons with SCI. The objectives of the proposed project are to reduce depressive symptoms, decrease associated symptoms of anxiety, and to improve satisfaction with life with CBT provided via tele-psychology. The secondary objective is to show intermediate efficacy of tele-psychology in persons with SCI with depressed mood.

    at UCSF

  • MOOD Study - External Combined Occipital and Trigeminal Nerve Stimulation (eCOT-NS) for the Treatment of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)

    Sorry, in progress, not accepting new patients

    The MOOD study will evaluate the safety and efficacy of a noninvasive, self-administered external Combined Occipital and Trigeminal Neurostimulation (eCOT-NS) treatment for Major Depressive Disorder (Relivion®DP). This is a prospective, multi-center, 2-arm randomized, double-blind, parallel-group, sham-controlled study. The study will include the following stages: 1. Screening, Eligibility evaluation and Randomization to Relivion®DP vs. Sham control (1:1 randomization) (Baseline - Day 0). 2. Daily treatment period: Active/Sham (Group A/B) treatment protocol (Baseline to end of 8 weeks). 3. Open label phase: Active treatment period of additional 8 weeks. After completion of the open label period the subject's participation in the study will be over.

    at UCLA

  • Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) Therapy in Major Depression

    Sorry, in progress, not accepting new patients

    Noninvasive transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a low-intensity neuromodulation technique of minimal risk that has been used as an experimental procedure for reducing depressive symptoms and symptoms of other brain disorders. Though tDCS applied to prefrontal brain areas is shown to reduce symptoms in some people with major depressive disorder (MDD), the extent of antidepressant response often differs. Methods that map current flow directly in the brain while a person is receiving tDCS and that determine how functional neuroimaging signal changes after a series of tDCS sessions may help us understand how tDCS works, how it can be optimized, and if it can be used as an effective antidepressant. Investigators will address these questions in a two-part randomized double blind exploratory clinical trial. For this part of the study, investigators will determine relationships between target engagement and clinical outcomes (mood) and functional sub-constructs of cognitive control and emotion negativity bias, and whether imaging markers at baseline predict changes in antidepressant response. One hundred people with depression (50 in each group) will be randomized to receive either HD-tDCS or sham-tDCS for a total of 12 sessions each lasting 20 minutes occurring on consecutive weekdays. At the first and last session, subjects will receive 20-30 minutes of active or sham HD-tDCS in the MRI scanner, which will allow investigators to map tDCS currents, and track changes in regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) pre-to- post treatment using completely non-invasive methods. At the first and last session and mid-way through the trial, participants will also complete a series of clinical ratings and neurocognitive tests.

    at UCLA

  • Treating Major Depression With Yoga Mono-therapy

    Sorry, not yet accepting patients

    The goal of this single-center, single-blind, randomized, controlled, parallel group, interventional trial to evaluate antidepressant efficacy of yoga monotherapy of 12-weeks duration in 180 adults meeting diagnostic criteria for mild-to-moderate major depression at the Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital. Researchers will compare the yoga interventions to a an education control intervention on holistic healthcare.

    at UCSF

  • VR Mindfulness Study

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    This is an exploratory study investigating the use of virtual reality-based guided mindfulness meditation in improving pain, stress, and mood within various clinical populations. The feasibility of utilizing VR applications within the populations of patients with various specific disease types and clinical settings is a burgeoning area of research. The goal is to establish an association between the use of VR-based mindfulness meditation, and pain, stress, and mood scores.

    at UCLA

  • Women's Health Initiative Strong and Healthy Study

    Sorry, in progress, not accepting new patients

    The WHISH trial applies state-of-the science behavioral principles and currently available technologies to deliver a physical activity intervention without face-to-face contact to ~25,000 older U.S. women expected to consent. It includes the National Institute of Aging (NIA) Go4Life® Exercise & Physical Activity materials 3 and WHISH developed targeted materials based on Go4Life® to provide inspirational tips and recommendations about how to achieve nationally recommended levels of PA and overcome barriers to exercise, with a means for self-monitoring and setting personal goals. The intervention builds upon evidence-based behavioral science principles and intervention components that have proven to be effective in increasing PA in older women, with innovative adaptive approaches to tailoring the delivery to meet individual (personal) needs.

    at UCSD

  • Characterizing Cognitive Decline in Late Life Depression: The ADNI Depression Project

    Sorry, in progress, not accepting new patients

    The purpose of this research study is to characterize the mechanisms contributing to cognitive impairment and accelerated cognitive decline in Late Life Depression (LLD). This is a non-randomized, observational, non-treatment study. One hundred and twenty (120) subjects who meet criteria for Major Depression or LLD will be enrolled for a period of 30 months. Data from an additional 300 non-depressed subjects will be used from ADNI studies for comparison. Depression history, symptom severity and health information will be collected at the initial psychiatric visit to determine eligibility. A 3 Tesla (3T) Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan and florbetapir (18F-AV-45) amyloid imaging will be conducted at the ADNI clinic site visits. Collection of plasma and serum for biomarkers, clinical assessments and cognitive assessments will be conducted at two time points. Blood samples will also be collected for genetic analysis.

    at UCSF

  • Latent Structure of Multi-level Assessments and Predictors of Outcomes for Women in Recovery

    Sorry, in progress, not accepting new patients

    In this study the investigators will seek to improve their understanding of how positive and negative valence systems, cognition, and arousal/interoception are inter-related in disorders of trauma, mood, substance use, and eating behavior for women involved in a court diversion program in Tulsa, Oklahoma (Women in Recovery). The investigators will recruit 100 individuals and use a wide range of assessment tools, neuroimaging measures, blood and microbiome collections and behavioral tasks to complete the baseline and follow-up study visits. Upon completion, the investigators aim to have robust and reliable dimensional measures that quantify these systems and a set of assessments that should be recommended as a clinical tool to enhance outcome prediction for the clinician and assist in determining who will likely benefit from the diversion program, and to inform future revision or augmentation of the program to increase treatment effectiveness.

    at UCSD

  • Longitudinal Observational Biomarker Study

    Sorry, in progress, not accepting new patients

    The purpose of this study is to test whether treatment-resistant late life depression is associated with declines in memory and attention and brain structure and function.

    at UCLA

Our lead scientists for Depression research studies include .

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