Frontal Hypoperfusion Effects on Antidepressant Outcomes in Late-Life Depression
Status:
Completed
Trial end date:
2016-06-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
The long-term goal of this line of research is to determine if decreased vascular reactivity
and frontal hypoperfusion is associated with poor response antidepressants. Such perfusion
deficits could contribute to antidepressant nonresponse as they would hinder improvements in
dorsal system metabolism seen with antidepressant treatment. The objective of the current
proposal is to determine if decreased vascular reactivity and frontal hypoperfusion in
depressed elders predicts and persists with antidepressant nonremission. The investigators
will pursue the primary aim testing the hypothesis that decreased reactivity and
hypoperfusion, specifically in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and dorsal anterior
cingulate cortex, predict antidepressant nonremission. The investigators will enroll 40
depressed elders who will complete clinical, cognitive, and MRI assessments before and after
a 12-week open-label antidepressant trial of sertraline.