Dopamine changes in the brains of depressed and healthy people
Part of Mental health clinical trials.
This study uses brain scans to look at dopamine — a chemical messenger related to reward and mood — in people with depression and healthy volunteers. Researchers want to understand how dopamine changes in depression, which may lead to better treatments.
Summary written for real people, not researchers, by Clin2.
Who can take part
- You must be between 18 and 65 years old.
- You either have major depression (diagnosed by a doctor) or you are a healthy volunteer without any psychiatric illness.
- You cannot be taking antidepressants or any mood drugs for the past 6 months.
- Your weight must be between 50 and 100 kg (about 110 to 220 lbs), and your BMI must be between 19 and 26.
- You cannot have any metal in your head (like surgical clips or implants) or other reasons that would make an MRI or PET scan unsafe.
- You must be a non-smoker and cannot have a history of alcohol or drug abuse.
Quick eligibility check
Answer a few plain-language questions, based on this study's own requirements, to get a preliminary sense of fit.
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