Prevention of Mood Disorders by Folic Acid Supplementation

• Status: Completed
• Trial end date: 2011-12-01
• Target enrollment: 0
• Participant gender: All

Summary

The purpose of this study is to determine whether daily folic acid supplements can prevent new episodes of mood disorder in young people (aged 14-24 years) of biological parents with current or past history of depression or bipolar disorder.

• Phase: N/A
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers?: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Details

• Lead Sponsor: University of Oxford
• Collaborator: Stanley Medical Research Institute
• Treatments: Folic Acid; Vitamin B Complex

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

• aged 14-24 years

• at least one biological parent with history of recurrent major depression or bipolar disorder

• normal blood count and serum vitamin B12 level

• provide written informed consent

• in the case of participants <16 years have a parent or guardian who will also provide written informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

• have significant active medical illness which in the opinion of the Principal Investigator could introduce additional risk factors and/or interfere with study procedures

• have current epilepsy and/or treatment with anticonvulsant drugs

• are, or intended to become,pregnant

• have current or previous Axis 1 disorder on DSM-IV (excluding adjustment disorder)

• are currently taking folate supplements and unwilling to continue

• have known hypersensitivity to folic acid or hydroxybenzoate esters

• taking methotrexate or other drugs that affect folate function