Active clinical trials for "Depression"

The investigators propose a randomized clinical trial to compare the efficacy of Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT), Problem-Solving Therapy (PST), and Brief Supportive Psychotherapy (BSP), in improving depressive symptoms, psychosocial functioning, and quality of life among patients with breast cancer and major depressive disorder (MDD).

Among antidepressant treatments, ECT stands as the most effective in treating acute depression. However, patient concerns with the cognitive side effects of ECT have encouraged the development of new and more focal forms of brain stimulation such as transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS). However, not all patients may respond to this treatment in the way that it is currently administered and this has raised interest in finding alternative, possibly more optimal ways of administering tDCS. This study will investigate whether tDCS stimulation using an alternative electrode montage has antidepressant effects.

This study will aim to evaluate the use of Electroencephalography (EEG) biomarkers in adolescent depression. Two specific hypotheses will be tested: H1: Early decreases in prefrontal cordance values will be greater in responders to antidepressant therapy than in medication non-responders. H2: Subjects with high Antidepressant Treatment Response(ATR) Index values [i.e., predicted to show symptomatic improvement with fluoxetine (FLX)] will achieve greater improvement in symptoms and in functional status than those with low ATR values. Exploratory analyses will be undertaken to compare and contrast the cordance changes and ATR values in medication and placebo-treated responders and non-responders.

The purpose of this study is to determine if TC-5214 or placebo (a tablet that looks like medicine tablet or capsule, but contains no active medicine) is safe and effective when taken together with another antidepressant.

The treatment of bipolar disorders is always a challenge in daily practice. Mood stabilizers are partially effective in the treatment of depressive phase of the illness, although there are some reports relating to the antidepressant properties of these drugs. Other conventional methods (pharmacological) and non- conventional treatment are not effective or involve risks and side effects. Several studies with Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) showed that magnetic stimulation daily over the left prefrontal cortex may improve the mood of patients. TMS is a noninvasive method of stimulating the brain. The instrument used nowadays in local research and application Clinical is a metallic coil formed in figure 8 (coil format 8). This instrument was capable of stimulating only surface areas of the brain, primarily the cerebral cortex, at depths of up to 3 inches below the scalp. From this angle, there is clearly a need for a means of producing magnetic fields which can reach deeper brain areas, such as those involved in mood disorders. TMS has little, if any effect in these brain areas. To this end, new coils, calls "H", that promote the stimulation of deep brain areas were developed in collaboration with the National Institute of Health (NIH) in the USA. This new coil - H1 that will be evaluated in this study has been tested for safety in NIH in 2003 by Dr. Abraham Zangen. Yet there are very few prospective clinical, randomized and controlled trials, on the effects of early and late in clinical-cognitive condition and safety of TMS with H1 coils in treating episodes of bipolar depression. The application of EMT with H1 coils can reach deepest regions of the brain and improve the clinical and cognitive condition of subjects with episodes of bipolar depression, and may be confirmed as a safe and virtually free of side effects. By an absence of treatment actually effective for bipolar depression, this study will show whether there are clinical and cognitive benefits of deep TMS with H1 coil in patients with bipolar depression.

The purpose of this study is to test the effectiveness of a telephone-based and in-person Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) intervention for treating Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) following Traumatic Brain Injury. Participants are randomly assigned to receive one of the following: 1) Telephone-based CBT, 2) In-person CBT, or 3) Usual care (control).

Depressive disorders are common in patients with Coronary Artery Disease (CAD), occurring in up to 47% of patients. Left untreated, these symptoms not only have a strong negative impact on quality-of-life, but also increase risk of future cardiac events and death. Unfortunately, about 64% of CAD patients do not respond to current antidepressant treatments. Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are two omega-3 (ω-3) fatty acids found in fatty fish that are important for brain function. Recent evidence showed that depressed CAD patients have lower levels of EPA and DHA than non-depressed CAD patients. This information, taken together with the known roles of ω-3 fatty acids in brain function, suggests that deficiencies may contribute to depression. However, it is unknown if increasing consumption of ω-3 fatty acids would alleviate depression and improve quality of life. While intake of adequate levels of ω-3 fatty acids is difficult to obtain through diet, concentrated supplements containing EPA and DHA that are safe, readily available, and inexpensive are now obtainable in Canada. CAROTID (CAD Randomized Omega-3 Trial In Depression) will randomize patients with CAD, with and without depressive symptoms, after 6 months of cardiac rehabilitation and usual care to receive either ω-3 fatty acid supplements or placebo daily during their final 6 months of cardiac rehabilitation. The investigators hypothesize that CAD patients randomized to receive ω-3 fatty acid supplements will show greater improvement in depressive symptoms and quality-of-life over time. The investigators will also evaluate possible improvements in other important determinants of quality of life: memory and other cognitive abilities.

Trained para-professional health care workers will implement a stepped-care model of depression care in commune health stations in Vietnam.

The purpose of this study is to determine the relative effectiveness of three different mental health counseling interventions in the treatment of mental health problems commonly affecting torture and trauma survivors living in Kurdistan, Iraq.

Depression and bipolar disorder (mania and depression) may be related to problems with nerve cells not being regenerated as fast as normal and are accompanied by cognitive difficulties including memory, attention and planning problems. There is thus a need for better, more efficient treatments with effects on cognitive function. Erythropoietin (Epo) is involved in brain repair and may be a candidate for future treatment strategies. The investigators have demonstrated that a single dose of Epo improves mood and reduces the processing of negative emotional information in healthy volunteers similar to effects seen with antidepressants. With the current study the investigators aim to build upon this discovery by investigating whether repeated Epo administration has antidepressant effects and is able to reverse cognitive difficulties in patients with depression or bipolar disorder. It is hypothesized that Epo will improve mood in treatment-resistant depression and improve cognitive function in this group and in patients with bipolar disorder in remission. If the study reveals beneficial effects of Epo, this would highlight Epo as a candidate compound for future treatment of depression and bipolar disorder, with the potential to directly promote brain repair mechanisms.