Depression, Epinephrine, and Platelet Function

Emory University

Status and phase

Completed

Phase 4

Conditions

Major Depressive Disorder

Treatments

Drug: Desipramine

Drug: Escitalopram

Study type

Interventional

Funder types

Other

NIH

Identifiers

NCT00166114

1R01HL065523-01A2 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

0473-2002

Details and patient eligibility

About

Men and women who have suffered sexual and/or physical abuse before the age of 12 are at increased risk for anxiety and mood disorders, other serious psychiatric disorders, and likely medical illnesses. What is not known is whether adult survivors of childhood adversity experience heightened negative emotions and increased physical responses due to altered norepinephrine or serotonin systems in their brains and bodies. The investigators expect to see that survivors of childhood adversity experience heightened negative emotions and increased physical responses to stress.

Enrollment

40 patients

Sex

All

Ages

18 to 55 years old

Volunteers

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

Exclusion criteria

Individuals who are suicidal, psychotic, or with bipolar depression
alcohol or substance abuse or
regularly use medications which alter mood or blood vessel function (zolpidem or zalpelon, aspirin, nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs, sympatholytics, theophylline, central acting agonists, beta-blockers, coumadin, nitrates, triazolobenzodiazapines, or use steroids (testosterone-patch or pill form), use tryptophan or monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs),
have narrow-angle glaucoma, liver disease,
severe allergies (especially to antidepressants similar to escitalopram or desipramine)
seizures, or a serious medical disorder (e.g. hypothyroidism) that is unstable or is untreated.
Depressed patients with a prior history of severe adverse events associated with SSRIs or TCAs will not be accepted into the study.