Depression
Conditions
Keywords
antidepressants, depression, zoloft, psychiatry, psychology
Brief summary
Major depression is a very common health problem affecting older persons. The present standard of treatment is with medications called antidepressants. Antidepressants have been studied extensively in older persons with normal brain function and have been shown to be effective. However, certain types of brain dysfunction called executive impairment (inability to do higher order thinking) may lead to poor treatment outcomes. This study will compare how older depressed people with different levels of executive impairment respond differently to standard antidepressant treatment. Knowing this information will lead to more rational targeting of available treatments, leading to improved treatment outcomes.
Interventions
DRUGZoloft (antidepressant)
Zoloft 50-200 mg po od x 12 weeks
Sponsors
Unity Health Toronto
Study design
Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
65 Years to 90 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* above the age of 65, * speak English fluently, * experience depression, AND * not yet on active treatment.
Exclusion criteria
* active delirium, * substance abuse, * mental illness other than major depression, * active CNS disease, * unstable systematic medical disease, OR * current of past psychotic disorder.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| depression | June 1, 2007 - June 1, 2008 |
Countries
Canada
Outcome results
None listed