DTA (Dopaminergic Therapy for Anhedonia) Study

• Status: Recruiting
• Trial end date: 2025-11-01
• Target enrollment: 0
• Participant gender: All

Summary

The purpose of this 6-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study is to explore new treatment options for people with depression who have high inflammation and anhedonia. Thirty-five male and female participants with depression, between the ages of 25-55 years of age, will be randomized to two study tracks (A and B) to receive both placebo and three doses of L-DOPA, given in different orders. Increases or decreases in each dose will occur gradually over 6 weeks of the study. Participants will complete lab tests, medical and psychiatric assessments, neurocognitive testing and functional MRI (fMRI) scans as part of the study. The total length of participation is about 2 months.

• Phase: Phase 4
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers?: No

Details

• Lead Sponsor: Emory University
• Collaborator: National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
• Treatments: Carbidopa; Carbidopa, levodopa drug combination; Levodopa

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

• willing and able to give written informed consent;

• men or women, 25-55 years of age

• a primary diagnosis of DSM-V MD, current, as diagnosed by the SCID-I;

• score >10 on the Patient Health Questionnaire [PHQ]-9

• off all antidepressant or other psychotropic therapy (e.g. mood stabilizers, antipsychotics, anxiolytics, and sedative hypnotics) for at least 4 weeks prior to baseline visit (8 weeks for fluoxetine)

• CRP ≥2 mg/L

• Score >/=2 on the anhedonia question of Patient Health Questionnaire [PHQ]-9

Exclusion Criteria:

• history or evidence (clinical or laboratory) of an autoimmune disorder ;

• history or evidence (clinical or laboratory) of hepatitis B or C infection or human immunodeficiency virus infection; - history of any type of cancer requiring treatment with more than minor surgery;

• unstable cardiovascular, endocrinologic, hematologic, hepatic, renal, or neurologic disease (as determined by physical examination, EKG and laboratory testing);

• history of any (non-mood-related) psychotic disorder; active psychotic symptoms of any type; history or current bipolar disorder; history or current gambling disorder; substance abuse/dependence within 6 months of study entry (as determined by SCID);

• active suicidal plan as determined by a score >3 on item #3 on the HAM-D; g. an active eating disorder (except for patients with binge eating disorder in whom binging is clearly associated with worsening of mood symptoms) ;

• a history of a cognitive disorder

• pregnancy or lactation;

• chronic use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents (NSAIDS) (excluding 81mg of aspirin), glucocorticoid containing medications or statins;

• use of NSAIDS, glucocorticoids, or statins at any time during the study;

• urine toxicology screen is positive for drugs of abuse,

• any contraindication for MRI scanning; n. intolerance, sensitivity or contraindication to carbidopa-levodopa (including history of narrow-angle glaucoma, melanoma, gastric and/or duodenal ulcers, bleeding disorders, or frequent migraines).