150 Participants Needed

Reward Processing and Depressive Subtypes: Identifying Neural Biotypes

JH
KD
Overseen ByKaitlyn Dal Bon, BA
Age: 18+
Sex: Any
Trial Phase: Academic
Sponsor: San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center
No Placebo GroupAll trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Trial Summary

What is the purpose of this trial?

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.

Research Team

SL

Susanna L Fryer, PhD

Principal Investigator

University of California, San Francisco

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

You are aged 18 to 70 and have been diagnosed with major depressive disorder or do not possess this diagnosis.
You passed the MRI safety assessment for metal objects.
You possess normal or corrected visual acuity.

Treatment Details

Participant Groups
2Treatment groups
Experimental Treatment
Group I: Unaffected Comparison GroupExperimental Treatment1 Intervention
50 unaffected comparison participants will be matched as a group to the age, race, educational level, handedness, and parental socio-economic status of the MDD patient group will be recruited for participation in EEG and fMRI testing sessions identical to those administered to the patients
Group II: MDD (Major Depressive Disorder) GroupExperimental Treatment1 Intervention
Individuals (ages 18-70 years) who meet DSM-5 criteria for MDD, as assessed using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 (SCID-5), with Stable psychiatric medication regime for \> 1 month will be recruited for participation in EEG and fMRI sessions in this observational study.

Find a Clinic Near You

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center

Lead Sponsor

Trials
52
Recruited
211,000+