Status:

COMPLETED

Neurotrophic Factors and Depression

Lead Sponsor:

University of California, San Francisco

Conditions:

Depression

Eligibility:

MALE

22-55 years

Phase:

PHASE4

Brief Summary

Study intended to determine if there are baseline differences in serum neurosteroid levels and neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels in healthy controls vs unmedicated depressed subjects, and whether the ...

Detailed Description

The study was approved by the UCSF Committee on Human Research, and all participants gave informed consent. The depressed subjects began treatment with placebo for one week, followed by escitalopram f...

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion

  • Male subjects with unipolar Major Depressive Disorder (DSM-IV) with a minimum score of 22 on the 10-item Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) who were medication-free for at least 6 weeks, were enrolled. Fifteen individually age-matched (+ 3 years) healthy male controls with no history of psychiatric illness were also enrolled. Subjects' ages ranged from 22- 55 y.o. (mean + S.D.= 41.4 + 8.75 y.o.). All subjects were required to pass a urine toxicology screen (assessing the presence of drugs of abuse) on the day of testing.
  • Exclusion Criteria:
  • Individuals with co-morbid panic disorder were excluded, since they may poorly tolerate typical starting doses of antidepressants , and individuals with co-morbid post-traumatic stress disorder were excluded, since they may have neuroendocrine regulatory responses different from those of depressed subjects without PTSD. Exclusion criteria for both groups included recent (within 6 months) alcohol or drug abuse as defined by DSM-IV criteria, concurrent psychotherapeutic interventions, poor medical health or abnormal clinical labs, active suicidality, and use of medications that could interfere with the study.

Exclusion

    Key Trial Info

    Start Date :

    January 1 2003

    Trial Type :

    INTERVENTIONAL

    Allocation :

    ACTUAL

    End Date :

    November 1 2008

    Estimated Enrollment :

    30 Patients enrolled

    Trial Details

    Trial ID

    NCT00812994

    Start Date

    January 1 2003

    End Date

    November 1 2008

    Last Update

    December 22 2008

    Active Locations (2)

    Enter a location and click search to find clinical trials sorted by distance.

    Page 1 of 1 (2 locations)

    1

    University of California San Francisco

    San Francisco, California, United States, 94143-0984

    2

    UCSF

    San Francisco, California, United States, 94143