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临床试验/NCT07694076
NCT07694076招募中不适用

Repeated Real-time Biofeedback With 7-Tesla MRI for Treatment of Depression

University of Oxford1 个研究点 分布在 1 个国家目标入组 60 人开始时间: 2026年6月1日最近更新:
适应症

试验速览

阶段
不适用
状态
招募中
入组人数
60
试验地点
1
主要终点
Mood and Motivation Related Measures

研究概览

简要总结

Previous work demonstrated that individuals are able to self-regulate their ventral tegmental area (VTA) activity using real-time biofeedback. The current study expands this approach to a larger sample with repeated training sessions to more robustly characterize the effects of VTA modulation. The study will assess change in mood and motivation-related measures, as well as neural activity and connectivity changes.

详细描述

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is one of the world's largest health problems with current treatments that are ineffective for a substantial proportion of individuals. There is a critical need for mechanistically informed interventions that are individualized and that aim to target core symptoms.

Converging evidence from animal and human research in the field has implicated the ventral tegmental area (VTA), a key component of the brain's dopamine system, in regulating motivation and reward-related behaviour. Previous work has demonstrated that participants can successfully train to self-regulate their VTA activity using cognitive strategies while receiving real-time feedback. This shows that VTA self-regulation is feasible in humans.

The current study builds on this previous work to further investigate the relationships between VTA activity modulation and mood and motivation related changes in individuals with MDD. Specifically, this study will aim to extend on prior findings by increasing the sample size and incorporating repeated training sessions to enhance and characterize training effects over time. A total of 60 participants with MDD will be recruited and will be randomized in a 1:1 ratio to receive either active biofeedback or sham (control) feedback.

Participants will complete two training sessions with real-time 7T-MRI biofeedback. During functional MRI (fMRI) scanning, participants will be trained to use self-generated cognitive strategies to modulate their VTA activity while viewing a visual representation of their brain signal (active condition) or a yoked control signal (sham condition).

The primary objective of this study is to determine how VTA modulation influences mood and motivation related measures over time. Secondary objectives include assessing changes in VTA activation and functional connectivity over time, as well as examining how neural changes relate to mood and motivation-related changes.

研究设计

研究类型
Interventional
分配方式
Randomized
干预模型
Parallel
主要目的
Treatment
盲法
Double (Participant, Outcomes Assessor)

入排标准

年龄范围
18 Years 至 65 Years(Adult, Older Adult)
性别
All
接受健康志愿者

入选标准

  • Male or female aged 18-65 years;
  • Meets DSM-5 criteria for major depressive disorder (MDD) as determined by the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 Axis Disorders (SCID) or the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI); with a current major depressive episode.
  • Participants must have a level of understanding of the English language sufficient to agree to all tests and examinations required by the study and must be able to participate fully in the informed consent process.

排除标准

  • Current or history of schizophrenia or other psychotic disorder, neurodevelopmental disorder, neurocognitive disorder or cognitive impairment
  • Active substance use disorder within the past 1 year;
  • Any unstable medical illnesses;
  • Women who are pregnant;
  • Any contraindications to MRI
  • Antidepressant medication initiated within 2 weeks of the Baseline Assessment and concomitant use of any other medication with central nervous system activity during active participation;
  • Active suicidal intent or plan.

结局指标

主要结局

Mood and Motivation Related Measures

时间窗: Pre to post biofeedback training, within a 6-week timeframe.

A single composite metric will be derived by factor analysis of a battery of validated mood and motivation related instruments (e.g. PANAS-SF, POMS-SF, PHQ-9, MAP-SR), providing one expected latent mood and motivation factor. Modelling the instruments jointly avoids nominating any single scale as the outcome, and controls for multiple comparisons. Unit of measure: standardized latent factor score (z / SD units).

VTA Connectivity

时间窗: Pre to post biofeedback training, within a 4-week timeframe.

Functional connectivity between the VTA seed and whole-brain (voxelwise), measured with 7-Tesla fMRI. Unit of measure: Fisher z-transformed correlation coefficient.

次要结局

  • VTA Activation(Pre to post biofeedback training, within a 4-week timeframe.)
  • Association between change in VTA measures and change in the mood and motivation factor(Pre to post biofeedback training, within a 6-week timeframe.)

研究者

申办方类型
Other
责任方
Sponsor

研究点 (1)

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