A New Treatment Approach for Major Depressive Disorder Based Upon Targeting Monoamine Oxidase A (MAO-A)

• Status: Completed
• Trial end date: 2018-07-01
• Target enrollment: 0
• Participant gender: All

Summary

The investigators will be looking at MAO-A density before and after seven weeks of treatment with an antidepressant and dietary supplement. MAO-A is an enzyme that breaks down brain chemicals that regulate mood. MAO-A density is elevated in patients with major depressive episodes (MDE) secondary to major depressive disorder (MDD). Many remain treatment resistant with common antidepressant treatments and we think it may be due to poor targeting of brain pathologies. We want to test if adding a dietary supplement may normalize MAO-A.

• Phase: Early Phase 1
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers?: No

Details

• Lead Sponsor: Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
• Treatments: Acetylcysteine; Citalopram; Dexetimide; N-monoacetylcystine; Serotonin Uptake Inhibitors; Sertraline

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

• DSM-IV diagnosis of current major depressive episode and major depressive disorder

• Hamilton Depression Rating Scale score of at least 20

Exclusion Criteria:

• Comorbid axis I or II disorders

• Antidepressant use in past 6 months

• Current use of herbal remedies

• Cigarette smoking

• Drug or medication use within past 8 weeks

• History of substance abuse/neurotoxin use

• History of psychotic symptoms

• History of CNS medical illness

• Current substance use

• Test positive on pregnancy test (women)