Clinical Research

Major Depressive Disorder

Research Programs

• Family Study of Risk for Major Depression
  Principal Investigator: Adriana Feder, M.D.
  We are conducting a study that looks at how serotonin, a natural chemical in the brain, affects emotions. We are particularly interested in studying healthy people who have a close relative with clinical depression (major depression). Studying serotonin will allow us to better understand the causes of major depression and help us find out who is at risk for depression within a family. Serotonin is known to control many different parts of behavior, including emotions, mood, sleep, and appetite. Doctors and researchers think that low serotonin activity in the brain has an important effect on depression. You may qualify for this study if you are medically healthy and have a parent or sibling with major depression that started by the age of 25, or if you have no family members who have any psychiatric disorders.
• A Clinical Trial of an AMPAkine in Treatment Resistant Major Depression
  Principal Investigator: Dennis S. Charney, M.D.
  Co-Principal Investigator: Sanjay J. Mathew, M.D.

  In this study, we are investigating the safety and effectiveness of a new medication in the treatment of people with major depression who have not responded in the past to other types of medication. The drug, called an AMPAkine because of its chemical target in the brain, works on a system that is central to mood regulation. After completing the screening process, participants will be randomly assigned to take either the investigational drug or a placebo, a pill with no active substance, for an eight-week period. Neither you nor the research team will know which of the two pills you are taking. Participants will take a series of psychological tests twice during the study to look at the effect of the drug on memory and thinking. If you are between the ages of 21 and 55, are experiencing the symptoms of major depression, and have tried antidepressants in the past, you may be eligible for this study.

• Brain Imaging in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Major Depressive Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, and Healthy Volunteers
  Principal Investigator: Sanjay J. Mathew, M.D.

  Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), major depressive disorder (MDD), and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) are three conditions that share common symptoms, such as impaired concentration, fatigue, and sleep disturbance. The purpose of this study is to learn about how these three disorders differ biologically, by studying chemicals in the blood and in the brain. As a participant, you would be initially screened and interviewed. You would then receive a blood test and a Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS) scan, a painless and harmless procedure that creates a magnetic field around the skull and creates computerized pictures of the metabolism in brain. This MRS scan will take place at the Manhattan campus of the Cornell Medical School, about 20 blocks away from Mount Sinai. You may qualify for this study if you are between the ages of 18 and 60 and are experiencing symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome, MDD, or GAD. We are also looking for participants who are medically healthy with no past or present psychiatric diagnoses.

• Deep Brain Stimulation for Treatment Resistant Major Depression
  Principal Investigator: Sanjay J. Mathew, M.D.
  Co-Principal Investigator: Ron Alterman, M.D.

  Antidepressant medication and psychotherapy may fail to treat the symptoms of chronic and severe depression. This research proposal will investigate the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of chronic deep brain stimulation (DBS) for patients with treatment-resistant depression (TRD). Ten patients, ages 18 – 60 years old, will be recruited for this study. Importantly, only those patients who have already had vagus nerve stimulation (VNS), an FDA approved treatment for depression, will be eligible for this study.

Clinical Programs

• Vagus Nerve Stimulation

  Mount Sinai has been identified as a center for excellence for use of vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) for treatment resistant depression. The VNS Therapy System consists of an implanted pacemaker-like pulse generator and nerve stimulation electrodes, which deliver intermittent stimulation to the patient's left vagus nerve. The outpatient implant procedure takes about an hour, and the procedure does not involve the brain. VNS therapy has a proven efficacy that improves over time and is sustained long-term, making it a valuable treatment option for patients with difficult to treat depression.

Participation Information

Tawana Smith
Tel: (212) 241-7906
E-mail: map@mssm.edu

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