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Brain Imaging in Depression

NCT00050700 · Status: COMPLETED · Type: OBSERVATIONAL · Enrollment: 107

Last updated 2017-07-02

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

The purpose of this study is to use brain imaging technology to examine the role of certain brain receptors and the nervous system chemical acetylcholine in major depression.

The cholinergic system involves the regulation of neurotransmitters and the brain receptors to which they bind. Evidence suggests that the cholinergic system may play a role in the development of depression. Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter that binds to certain brain receptors called muscarinic cholinergic receptors. Cholinomimetic drugs (drugs that stimulate the cholinergic system) often exacerbate depressive symptoms in people with mood disorders and in healthy individuals. This increase in depressive symptoms may be caused by stimulation of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (mAChRs), but further study is needed to confirm this. This study will use positron emission tomography (PET) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to study the function of mAChRs in individuals with depression.

Participants in this study will undergo a physical examination, psychiatric interviews, neuropsychological tests, PET and MRI scans, and rating scales of depression, anxiety, and negative thinking symptoms. Questions about behavior and functioning will be asked and blood samples will be collected for genetic analysis.

Conditions

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

    lead NIH

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Max Age
45 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2002-12-16
Completion
2010-05-14

Countries

  • United States

Study Locations

More Related Trials

Entities

Diseases

Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT00050700 on ClinicalTrials.gov