Determining Changes in Brain Structure Associated With Symptoms of Late-Life Depression
| Status: | Completed |
|---|---|
| Conditions: | Depression |
| Therapuetic Areas: | Psychiatry / Psychology |
| Healthy: | No |
| Age Range: | 55 - Any |
| Updated: | 3/16/2015 |
| Start Date: | August 2005 |
| End Date: | August 2010 |
| Contact: | Meryl A. Butters, Ph.D. |
| Email: | buttersma@upmc.edu |
| Phone: | 412-246-5280 |
Pathways Linking Late-Life Depression to MCI & Dementia
This study will determine the changes in brain structure and function that are responsible
for mood and cognition changes that are sometimes associated with late-life depression.
for mood and cognition changes that are sometimes associated with late-life depression.
The goal of this research study is to investigate the relationships among late-life
depression (LLD), cognitive impairment and progressive neurodegeneration. The guiding
hypothesis is that LLD patients have evolving cognitive impairments as a consequence of
distinct underlying neuropathological changes, which frequently are expressed as Mild
Cognitive Impairment (MCI). These neuropathological and cognitive changes are risk
modifiers, lowering brain reserve capacity, and in turn, increasing risk of developing
Alzheimer's Disease (AD). In order to pursue this goal we will enroll LLD, MCI, and normal
control subjects to enrich our existing cohort to include a total of 150 elderly,
non-demented, non-depressed subjects, 60 non-depressed MCI subjects and 270 LLD subjects.
Using the joint infrastructure of the University of Pittsburgh's Advanced Center for
Intervention and Services Research for Late-Life Mood Disorders and the Alzheimer's Disease
Research Center, we will complete a detailed neurobehavioral evaluation, including clinical,
neuropsychological, neuroimaging and biological markers, using these data to evaluate the
factors associated with the development of MCI or dementia. Subjects will be studied
annually for at least three years, allowing us to use longitudinal data to evaluate a series
of linked hypotheses that postulate the pathways by which elderly, depressed patients
develop cognitive impairment, and which may lead some to develop dementia.
depression (LLD), cognitive impairment and progressive neurodegeneration. The guiding
hypothesis is that LLD patients have evolving cognitive impairments as a consequence of
distinct underlying neuropathological changes, which frequently are expressed as Mild
Cognitive Impairment (MCI). These neuropathological and cognitive changes are risk
modifiers, lowering brain reserve capacity, and in turn, increasing risk of developing
Alzheimer's Disease (AD). In order to pursue this goal we will enroll LLD, MCI, and normal
control subjects to enrich our existing cohort to include a total of 150 elderly,
non-demented, non-depressed subjects, 60 non-depressed MCI subjects and 270 LLD subjects.
Using the joint infrastructure of the University of Pittsburgh's Advanced Center for
Intervention and Services Research for Late-Life Mood Disorders and the Alzheimer's Disease
Research Center, we will complete a detailed neurobehavioral evaluation, including clinical,
neuropsychological, neuroimaging and biological markers, using these data to evaluate the
factors associated with the development of MCI or dementia. Subjects will be studied
annually for at least three years, allowing us to use longitudinal data to evaluate a series
of linked hypotheses that postulate the pathways by which elderly, depressed patients
develop cognitive impairment, and which may lead some to develop dementia.
Inclusion Criteria:
- Diagnosis of a mood disorder
Exclusion Criteria:
- Major acute medical illnesses or injuries known to have significant direct effects on
cognitive functioning (e.g., metastatic cancer, multiple sclerosis, traumatic brain
injury).
- Uncorrectable sensory handicap (e.g., blindness), because they are unable to complete
the cognitive test battery.
- Exclusion criteria for MR scans include: cardiac pacemaker, aneurysm clip, cochlear
implant, pregnancy, IUD, shrapnel, history of metal fragments in the eye,
neurostimulators, weight of 250 lbs. or more, or claustrophobia.
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