fMRI Studies of Emotional Circuitry in Major Depression: Treatment Changes
Overview
- Phase
- Not Applicable
- Intervention
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
- Conditions
- Major Depression
- Sponsor
- Washington University School of Medicine
- Enrollment
- 97
- Locations
- 1
- Primary Endpoint
- Blood Oxygen-level Dependent Activations During an Emotional Distractor Task Between fMRI Scans of Depressed Participants in the CBT Group and Control Participants.
- Status
- Completed
- Last Updated
- 7 years ago
Overview
Brief Summary
The overall purposes of this research are to determine if Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) has the same healing effect on the brain for people with depression as traditional antidepressants do, and in comparison to healthy controls with no history of depression, to find out more about the causes of depression including differences in the extent of problems caused by depression. We hypothesize that CBT will have the same healing effect on the brain as antidepressants; that differences in brain activations created by the various tasks and genetic differences will help us understand differences in the type and severity of symptoms among the depressed subjects.
Detailed Description
The overall purposes of this research are to determine if Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) has the same healing effect on the brain for people with depression as traditional antidepressants do, to find out more about the causes of depression and why people differ in the extent of problems caused by depression, and to determine if certain differences in genes within populations are related to clinical symptoms.Genes we are examining for this study are COMT, BDNF, and 5-HTT long arm and short arm, as well as future genes that may be discovered to play a role in depression at a later time, and will be determined by examining saliva and blood samples. We are primarily studying depression by functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) which allows us to identify certain parts of the brain that show how the brain works in controlling negative feelings. Participants will be imaged while performing different tasks that are believed to activate emotional circuitry of the brain. Comparisons of activation patterns across these tasks will be used to characterize the cognitive mechanisms supported by different cortical regions, and to determine patterns of functional brain deficits in subjects with depression. Comparisons will also be made between changes that occur after treatment with an approved antidepressant and treatment with CBT.
Investigators
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria
- Not provided
Exclusion Criteria
- Not provided
Arms & Interventions
Depressed Group: CBT
Depressed participants randomized to receive Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for treatment. A fMRI scan session will occur immediately prior to starting treatment, and their second fMRI scan will occur immediately following the completion of 12 weeks of therapy.
Intervention: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Depressed Group: SRT
Depressed participants randomized to receive the antidepressant sertraline (SRT) for treatment. A fMRI scan session will occur immediately prior to starting treatment, and their second fMRI scan will occur immediately following the completion of 12 weeks of therapy.
Intervention: Sertraline
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Blood Oxygen-level Dependent Activations During an Emotional Distractor Task Between fMRI Scans of Depressed Participants in the CBT Group and Control Participants.
Time Frame: baseline visit and 8-week follow-up
MRI imaging was completed on 50 participants (26 depressed who were randomized to the CBT group and 24 controls) for this analysis, including fMRI scans to evaluate regional brain activation in depression during an emotional distractor task. Image data from their baseline visit was processed and analyzed to show differences in blood oxygen-level dependent (BOLD) activations between depressed participants in the CBT group and control participants in a priori regions (amygdala and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex) during the task. The specified regions were masked on the images, and voxel-wise comparisons (ANOVAs) were performed to determine differences in activations between groups within these masked regions Positive values reflect a BOLD activation in that region; negative reflects a BOLD de-activation in that region.
Hamilton Depression Rating Scale Score at Baseline and 12 Weeks
Time Frame: Baseline and 12 weeks
The patient was rated by a research team member among 17 dimensions/items pertaining to depression symptoms experienced over the last week. Each item is scored from 0 (=absent), up to 2 or 4 (depending on the item). The maximum total score on the assessment, indicating the most severe depression, would be 52. A total score of 0-7 is considered to be normal. Total scores of 20 or higher indicate moderate, severe, or very severe depression. A 50% or greater drop in Hamilton Depression Rating Scale signifies response to treatment.