Development of Functional and Structural Magnetic Resonance Imaging Techniques for the Study of Mood and Anxiety Disorders
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Summary
This study is intended to help develop new MRI imaging techniques for studying mood and anxiety disorders. Researchers believe that depression and anxiety disorders may cause structural and functional changes in the brain. This study will optimize the way MRI scans are collected to look at brain structure and examine how the brain behaves while subjects perform particular tasks. Healthy volunteers and individuals with major depressive disorder may be eligible for this study. Participants undergo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and neuropsychological testing. : Individuals will be asked to participate in an MRI study on one of several scanners. The scanner used will measure blood flow in the brain, concentrations of certain chemicals in the brain, or magnetic properties of the brain. The scan may involve They watching a screen presenting images or doing a task in which they respond to pictures or sounds. Participants may be asked to return for additional scans. The study also involves neuropsychological tests, which assess cognitive performance. Often, people with mood disorders have subtle changes in performance on these tests that allow researchers to pinpoint where brain abnormalities occur. Before the tests can be used in patients, they must be validated by using healthy subjects. These tests are presented either orally, in written form, or on a computer.
Description
Objective A major component of understanding the pathogenesis of mood and anxiety disorders is expected to involve elucidation of abnormalities in brain structure and function associated with these conditions. Historically post-mortem histopathological and neurochemical assessments constituted the primary methods for investigating abnormalities of brain structure and function in psychiatric disorders. However, the significance of the results from such studies has been limited by the relatively poor availability of specimens from subjects with mood and anxiety disorders who had been unmedicate…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 18–65 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Yes
* INCLUSION CRITERIA: Healthy Controls * Male and female subjects between 18 and 65 years of age * Subjects must be able to give written informed consent prior to participation in this study. * Subjects who do not currently meet and have never met criteria for any major psychiatric disorder, and who have no known first degree relatives with mood disorders. * For cognitive experiments utilizing language stimuli only native English speakers will be enrolled. Major Depressive Disorder * Male and female subjects between 18 and 65 years of age. * Subjects have been found eligible for other ETPB…
Interventions
- Device7T Magnetic Resonance Imaging scanner
Non-significant risk device used for brain imaging
Location
- National Institutes of Health Clinical CenterBethesda, Maryland