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Inflammatory and Glutamatergic Mechanisms of Sustained Threat in Adolescents With Depression

NCT05329441 · Status: RECRUITING · Type: OBSERVATIONAL · Enrollment: 160

Last updated 2025-05-28

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

Despite the prevalence and significant public health concern over depression among adolescents, up to 40% of depressed adolescents do not respond to first-line antidepressants (herein termed treatment non-response, TNR). The goal of this project is to recruit and assess 160 treatment-seeking depressed adolescents and test whether acute stress impacts peripheral levels of inflammation and downstream levels of glutamate in corticolimbic regions previously associated with depression, whether these stress-related biomarkers predict TNR to a 12-week trial of either fluoxetine or escitalopram, and whether these stress-related biomarkers predict 18-month clinical course.

Conditions

  • Depression in Adolescence

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Trier Social Stress Test (TSST)

In this mechanistic study, all participants will undergo a modified version of the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST), which is a well-validated psychosocial stress paradigm, adapted for adolescents that involves no deception and is considered a very mild stressor. The TSST comprises of two stress tests: a 5-minute arithmetic task and a 5-minute speech task. Due to repeated testing of the TSST, participants will be randomized to one task at T1 and complete the second task at T2 (counterbalanced design). Every 5 minutes, participants will provide ratings of their mood using a visual analogue scale (1-10) of eight mood states (Afraid, Confused, Sad, Angry, Energetic, Tired, Happy, and Tense) that will be used as potential behavioral responses to social stress. Glutamate and inflammation outcomes will be examined acutely and from T1 and T2.

Sponsors & Collaborators

Principal Investigators

  • Tiffany Ho, Ph.D. · University of California, Los Angeles

Eligibility

Min Age
14 Years
Max Age
21 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2023-07-06
Primary Completion
2028-04-01
Completion
2028-04-30

Countries

  • United States

Study Locations

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Entities

Companies

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 NCT05329441 on ClinicalTrials.gov