Effects of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy on Brain Serotonin Activity in People With Depression

• Status: Completed
• Trial end date: 2011-12-01
• Target enrollment: 0
• Participant gender: All

Summary

This study will examine changes in brain serotonin activity in people with depression before and after they receive cognitive behavioral therapy.

• Phase: Phase 2/Phase 3
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers?: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Details

• Lead Sponsor: University of Pennsylvania
• Collaborator: National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
• Treatments: Serotonin

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

• DSM-IV diagnosis of major depressive disorder (MDD)

• Drug naive from prior psychotropic medication for more than 6 months before study entry

• Hamilton-Depression (HAM-D) 17 score greater than or equal to 16

• Woman of childbearing age with a negative pregnancy test within 48 hours of scanning

Exclusion Criteria:

• DSM-IV Axis I diagnosis other than MDD

• Use of psychotropic medication within 6 months of study entry

• History of bipolar disorder

• Current alcohol or drug abuse/dependence within 6 months of study entry

• History of sensitivity or intolerance to s-citalopram

• Medical contraindication to the use of s-citalopram

• Unstable medical condition (e.g., angina pectoris, untreated hypertension)

• Pregnant or nursing

• Woman of childbearing potential not using a medically acceptable form of birth control

• Actively suicidal or requiring hospitalization

• Requiring additional psychotropic drug therapy

• History of transient ischemic attacks

• History of cerebral infarction (including lacunar infarct with symptoms more than 24 hours in duration)

• History of Binswanger's disease or a history of hypertensive encephalopathy

• History of intracranial hemorrhage

• History of head trauma with loss of consciousness

• History of encephalitis

• History of extended exposure to known neurotoxin (e.g., cyanide, carbon monoxide)

• Uncontrolled metabolic disorder (e.g., thyroid disease, diabetes mellitus)

• History of cognitive impairment other than major depressive episode

• History of normal pressure hydrocephalus

• History of cancer metastatic to the central nervous system

• History of Parkinson's or other basal ganglia disease

• History of Guillain-Barré syndrome (chronic or relapsing polyneuropathy)

• Inability to undergo an MRI scan