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Pain, Reward, Attention and Neurocircuitry: Biomarkers of Suicidality

Pain, Reward, Attention and Neurocircuitry: Biomarkers of Suicidality

Status
Completed
Phases
Unknown
Study type
Observational
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT02811198
Enrollment
97
Registered
2016-06-23
Start date
2017-01-01
Completion date
2025-01-30
Last updated
2026-02-27

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Major Depressive Disorder, Suicidal Ideation, Suicide

Brief summary

The ultimate aim of this study is to identify a biomarker of suicide risk in MDD by measuring the "hedonic spectrum" (pain and reward responsivity), attention and its associated brain structures using brain scans (fMRI and DTI), as well as the stability of markers over time.

Detailed description

The issue of suicide has continued to puzzle researchers in the field of psychiatry. Edwin Shneidman, a prominent researcher on suicide emphasized "the most evident fact about suicidology and suicidal events is that they are multidimensional…containing concomitant biological, sociological, and psychological (interpersonal and intrapsychic)…elements". Yet, no study to date has attempted to integrate these dimensions when evaluating suicide risk. Considering the presence of a psychiatric illness is a primary predictor of suicide, it is important to develop a unified understanding of risk factors that integrate current clinical and neurobiological findings in this population. Our aim is to: (1) identify an integrated biomarker model to predict risk of suicide attempt in patients with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) with and without a history of suicide attempt, using neuroimaging, neurocognitive testing and behavioural tasks, and (2) test the stability of this model using a prospective 1 year design.

Interventions

OTHERNo intervention

Sponsors

Unity Health Toronto
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Observational model
COHORT
Time perspective
PROSPECTIVE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 70 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes

Inclusion criteria

1. DSM-5 criteria for Major Depressive Episode within a MDD, confirmed through MINI diagnosis104 2. Ages between 18 and 70 years 3. Hamilton Depression Rating Scale - 17 item (HAMD-17) \>= 14 4. Capable of giving informed consent 5. Groups 1 and 2 participants only: HAMD-17 item 3 (suicide) \>= 2 6. Group 2 participants only: positive history of a suicide attempt within the last six months 7. Group 3 participants only: positive history of a lifetime suicide attempt

Exclusion criteria

1. Pregnancy/lactation 2. Medical condition requiring immediate investigation or treatment 3. Recent (\< 6 months)/current history of drug abuse/dependence (other than caffeine, or nicotine) 4. Lifetime history of psychosis, Bipolar I or Bipolar II; other Axis I comorbidities are allowable 5. Individuals who are taking a daily sedative hypnotic, atypical antipsychotic or stimulant must be on a stable dose for at least 4 weeks prior to the neuroimaging scan. The dose must not be taken after 10:00pm the evening prior to the scan. Those receiving a benzodiazepine or an atypical antipsychotic on an "as needed" basis (taken, but not every day) will be washed out of their benzodiazepine/atypical antipsychotic for two weeks prior to neuroimaging. Those receive stimulants on an "as needed" basis will be washed out for 1-3 days prior to neuroimaging, depending on the stimulant half-life. 6. Participation in experimental treatment trials for the study duration.

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Biomarkers for Suicide Risk12 monthsPotential biomarkers for suicide risk including brain scans, genomic or proteomic makers,

Countries

Canada

Contacts

PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORSakina Rizvi, PhD

Unity Health Toronto

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 28, 2026