Clinical trial NCT00260468: Brain Abnormalities in Late-Onset Major Depression
Official title: Structural and Functional Cerebral Findings in Late-Onset Major Depression
Study type: OBSERVATIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Conditions: Major Depression
Keywords: Major depression
Magnetic resonance imaging
White matter lesions
Perfusion
Diffusion
Magnetization transfer
Vascular risk factors
Lead sponsor: University of Aarhus
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: The Danish Medical Research Council
name: Bayer
First posted: 2005-12-01
Enrollment: 44
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 50
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Observational model: CASE_CONTROL
Time perspective: CROSS_SECTIONAL
Sampling method: PROBABILITY_SAMPLE
Study population: 1. Subjects with first-episode late-onset major depression from psychiatric hospital or clinic
2. Healthy controls

Brief summary: The objective of this project is to examine the state of the brain in people over 50 years old suffering from late-onset depression by means of an extensive clinical assessment programme, including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), neuropsychological testing, neurological examination, eye examination as well as blood and saliva samples. The results are to be compared with results from a control group matched for gender and age.

Detailed description: Major depression is a frequent and serious disorder with different prognoses and complications with respect to lack of treatment response, recurrence and suicide.

MRI of the brain can provide information about changes in the brain tissue with depression, e.g. lesions of nerve connections, small thrombi or changes in the blood flow. These changes appear primarily after the age of 50 and are seen in cases of diabetes and high blood pressure. Furthermore, the connection between disruptions in the body's stress response system and depression will be explored, which is very important since studies indicate that stress and depression can affect certain brain parts permanently. This will give us a better understanding of the connection between brain changes, neuropsychology and depression prognosis, which is decisive for accurate diagnostics, effective treatment and targeted prevention of the disease in the long run.

The project is part of a larger clinical assessment programme in the Neuropsychiatric Unit under the Centre for Basic Psychiatric Research, Aarhus Psychiatric Hospital, Denmark, which gives us unique possibilities of combining research and daily clinical work. The hope is in the future to be able to offer patients in the risk group better assessment and treatment to prevent complications and recurrence.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* first time major depression
* age over 50 years
* Caucasian
* admitted at a psychiatric hospital or treated at a local psychiatric clinic in Aarhus Amt

Exclusion Criteria:

* major brain damage (e.g. stroke, epilepsy, trauma)
* major alcohol or drug abuse

Primary outcomes:
Secondary outcomes:
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Risskov
country: Denmark
facility: Centre for Psychiatric Research, Aarhus University Hospital
Study officials:
affiliation: Aarhus University Hospital
name: Raben Rosenberg, Professor, MD, DrMedSc
role: STUDY_DIRECTOR
affiliation: Aarhus University Hospital
name: Videbech Poul, Professor, MD, DrMedSc
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
affiliation: Center for Functionally Integrative Neuroscience (CFIN), Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark
name: Leif Østergaard, Professor, MD, DrMedSc, PhD
role: STUDY_CHAIR
References: