Major Depressive Disorder, Major Depressive Episode
Conditions
Keywords
Executive Dysfunction, Cognitive Remediation, Geriatric, Depression
Brief summary
This research study will examine if a targeted computerized cognitive remediation (CCR) training program is better for treating geriatric depression than general computer activity. We will also examine whether this intervention is related to improvement in cognitive and depressive symptoms. Elderly patients with depression, who have, and who have not been treated with antidepressant medication for their illness, will be recruited to participate in either a 30 hour cognitive remediation program or general computer activity designed to be both challenging and interesting. They will be asked to complete between 1 and 3 hours of remediation per day over 4 weeks. While undergoing the cognitive remediation participants will be asked questions to assess their symptoms of, as well as the severity of, their depression weekly. This will inform researchers about whether or not the CCR is helping to improve depressive symptoms. At the end of the CCR study, participants will be given a battery of cognitive tests design to tell investigators whether or not the CCR improved their thinking in a variety of different ways including improving attention, memory, and organization. Investigators will also determine whether changes in participants' thinking are related to changes in their mood or other depressive symptoms. It is hoped that information gained from this study will help investigators to better understand the brain processes associated with depression, recovery from depression, and will help inform the development of future alternative treatments for this illness.
Interventions
OTHERcomputerized cognitive remediation:Control
Sponsors
Weill Medical College of Cornell University
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
DOUBLE (Subject, Investigator)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
60 Years to 89 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
Medicated Depressed Participants' Inclusion Criteria 1. Age: 60-89 years 2. Diagnosis: Major depression, unipolar (by DSM-IV criteria); 3. Severity of depression: MADRS \>or =15 following at least 8-weeks of controlled antidepressant treatment. 4. No plans to change current antidepressant treatment. Non-Medicated Depressed Participants' Inclusion Criteria 1. Age: 60-89 years 2. Diagnosis: Major depression, unipolar (by DSM-IV criteria); 3. Severity of depression: MADRS \>or =15 4. No antidepressant treatment within the current episode. -
Exclusion criteria
1. Psychotic depression by DSM-IV, i.e., presence of delusions with a score higher than 2 (questionable delusion) rated by the Scale for Assessment of Positive Symptoms (SAPS) \[47\]; 2. High suicide risk, i.e. intent or plan to attempt suicide in near future; 3. Presence of any Axis I psychiatric disorder (other than unipolar major depression) or substance abuse; Axis II diagnosis of antisocial personality (by SCID-P and DSM-IV); 4. History of psychiatric disorders other than unipolar major depression or generalized anxiety disorder (bipolar disorder, hypomania, and dysthymia are
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale | 4-6 weeks | 10 item measure to assess the core symptoms and cognitive features of clinical depression |
Countries
United States
Contacts
Primary ContactMaria Coluccio, M.A.
Backup ContactInstitute of Geriatric Psychiatry
Outcome results
None listed