Effects of Antidepressant Therapy on Brain Dopamine Transporter Activity in People With Major Depression

• Status: Completed
• Trial end date: 2009-12-01
• Target enrollment: 0
• Participant gender: All

Summary

This study will examine changes in brain dopamine transporter activity before and after antidepressant therapy.

• Phase: Phase 2/Phase 3
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers?: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Details

• Lead Sponsor: University of Pennsylvania
• Collaborator: National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
• Treatments: Antidepressive Agents; Citalopram; Dexetimide; Dopamine; Dopamine Agents

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

• DSM-IV diagnosis of major depressive episode (MDE) or major depressive disorder (MDD)

• Drug free of psychotropic medication for more than 6 months before study entry

• 17-item Hamilton Depression Scale (HAM-D17) score of greater than 16

• Woman of childbearing age with a negative pregnancy test within 48 hours of study entry

• Absence of DSM-IV Axis I diagnosis as determined by Structured Clinical Interview for DSM Disorders (SCID)

Exclusion Criteria:

• DSM-IV Axis I diagnosis other than MDE

• History of mania

• Current alcohol or drug abuse, or alcohol or drug dependence within 6 months before study entry

• History of sensitivity or intolerance to s-citalopram

• Medical contraindication to the use of s-citalopram

• Unstable medical condition (e.g., angina pectoris, untreated hypertension)

• Pregnant or breastfeeding

• Woman of childbearing potential not using a medically acceptable form of birth control

• Actively suicidal or requiring hospitalization

• Requiring additional psychotropic drug therapy

• History of transient ischemic attacks

• History of cerebral infarction (including lacunar infarct with symptoms that last more than 24 hours)

• History of Binswanger's disease (or a history of hypertensive encephalopathy)

• History of intracranial hemorrhage

• History of head trauma with loss of consciousness

• History of encephalitis

• History of extended exposure to known neurotoxin (e.g., cyanide, carbon monoxide)

• Uncontrolled metabolic disorder (e.g., thyroid disease, diabetes mellitus)

• History of cognitive impairment other than MDE

• History of normal pressure hydrocephalus

• History of cancer metastatic to the central nervous system

• History of Parkinson's disease or other basal ganglia disease

• History of Guillain-Barre syndrome (chronic or relapsing polyneuropathy)

• Inability to undergo an MRI scan

• History of DSM-IV Axis I Mood Disorder