Brain Function in Mentally Ill Adolescents

Completed

Conditions studied: Healthy, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Major Depressive Disorder

In brief

The purpose of this study is to use brain imaging technology to examine the brain activity of adolescents with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and/or major depressive disorder (MDD) before and after treatment. Adults with PTSD or MDD exhibit abnormalities in the structure and function of certain parts of the brain. Although PTSD and MDD are psychiatric disorders that often emerge in childhood, the relationship between these disorders and brain structures has not been thoroughly studied in adolescents with the disorders. This study will use functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to study the parts of the brain that are involved in PTSD and MDD in adolescents. Adolescents with PTSD and/or MDD will be enrolled along with healthy adolescents with or without a history of abuse. Healthy adults will also be enrolled. Participants will be screened with a physical examination; blood tests; and interviews about mood, general degree of nervousness, and behavior. Adolescents and their parents will be interviewed separately and together. Following the interviews, participants will undergo psychological tests. Participants with PTSD and/or MDD will have two weekly sessions of talk therapy. Participants who continue to experience PTSD or MDD symptoms after the talk therapy may continue the talk therapy alone, begin treatment with fluoxetine (Prozac ) alone, or begin fluoxetine in addition to the talk therapy. Participants who take fluoxetine will have blood collected before treatment and 8 weeks after treatment has begun. If participants do not respond to the treatment, the treatment will be stopped and the participants will be offered another treatment. Participants who respond to treatment will continue treatment at NIH until a referral to an outside physician is made. Depending on the experiment in which they are enrolled, participants will undergo one or four MRI scans. Participants who will have four MRI scans will undergo the scans on separate days. During the MRI, participants will complete tasks on a computer. Saliva samples will be collected before and after the scans. Participants with PTSD and/or MDD will collect their saliva one or two days before the MRI scan.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT00025857

Run by

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

People needed

105

Starts

2001-10-22

Expected to finish

2012-06-29

Last updated by the study team

2019-12-03

Who can join

Age: 7 and older, up to 18. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.

You may not qualify if…

• Any medical condition that increases risk for MRI (e.g. pacemaker, metallic foreign material in eye).
• Any medical condition that increases risk for fluoxetine treatment for patients with MDD/PTSD.
• Pregnancy.
• Participants suffering from acute psychosis or suicidal ideation; current abuse/dependency to alcohol or drugs.
• Currently in an abusive situation at home.
• Weight that is 15% more or less than ideal body weight for sex and height.
• Current tobacco use.

Where it is running

• National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, 9000 Rockville Pike — Bethesda, Maryland, United States

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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