34 Clinical Trials for Various Conditions
The goal of this clinical trial is to characterize the role of sleep, emotion processing, and daily affect in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and whether improving sleep quality using slow wave activity enhancement will impact next-day affect in youth. Participants will attend 4 study visits: * A clinical and trauma assessment visit * A testing day that may include cognitive testing, surveys, and an MRI. * An overnight sleep study following one week of at-home sleep recordings with the device in the sham condition * An overnight sleep study following one week of at-home sleep recordings with the device in the sleep enhancement condition
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Investigating an emotional processing program, that is modified for use with children, is effective for children with a traumatic brain injury (TBI).
Traumatic Brain Injury
The guiding scientific premise for this research is that a growth emotion mindset will promote more adaptive emotion processing than a fixed emotion mindset. Because emotional sensitivity is particularly salient in adolescent girls, we will focus on this group. Using an experimental design, adolescent girls will be randomly assigned to either a mindset manipulation or a control group (brain education). Each group will complete a 25-minute computer-based lesson followed by a social stressor and a functional magnetic resonance imaging session. Two specific aims will be addressed: (1) to determine whether a growth mindset induction, relative to a control condition, predicts more adaptive emotion processing at the neural, behavioral, and psychological levels of processing; and (2) to determine whether neural processing of emotion accounts for the effect of a growth emotion mindset manipulation on behavioral and psychological processing of emotion. This study builds on a strong empirical database establishing the effect of mindsets on multiple domains of functioning but will be the first to examine the implications of a growth vs. fixed mindset about emotion for emotion processing in adolescent girls, thereby elucidating one specific youth attribute that can support or disrupt emotional development.
Emotions
This study will test the effectiveness of an emotional processing intervention in individuals with MS in a double blind placebo controlled randomized clinical trial. We will utilize an intervention which has been successfully used in other populations, including Schizophrenia and Traumatic Brain Injury. Our pilot data shows that this intervention is effective in individuals with MS as well
Multiple Sclerosis
The current project will examine the impact of an emotional processing intervention on emotional processing abilities in a sample of 50 persons with moderate to severe TBI. Outcome will be assessed across 3 domains. We will document changes resulting from treatment: (1) in emotional processing tasks (2) in other areas of function including QOL, social functioning, mood and cognition that are also likely to be impacted (3) in brain structure and function. The examination of efficacy in the above three areas will further our knowledge of emotional processing deficits in TBI and more importantly, identify an effective means of treating such deficits.
Traumatic Brain Injury
This pilot project addresses two understudied questions related to neurocognitive deficits observed in treatment-seeking alcoholics. First, whether cognitive training improves performance and outcomes in alcoholics, and whether men and women differ in their response to this training. The second is whether directed training using affective materials (e.g., emotional faces) is differentially effective compared to that using traditional (i.e., neutral) stimuli.
Alcohol Use Disorder
This research study will look at brain and symptom differences among women with severe premenstrual mood symptoms. One goal of this study is to look at the effects of taking a nasal spray containing oxytocin (a hormone made in the brain) on brain areas involved in emotion regulation while viewing pictures during a neuroimaging (fMRI) session. The investigators will also look at whether oxytocin improves premenstrual mood symptoms.
Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder
The purpose of this study is to test the effects of a computerized approach/avoidance training (AAT) procedure in a sample of individuals diagnosed with social anxiety disorder (SAD). The training procedure is designed to modify automatic approach responses for positive social stimuli. Previous research has shown that a single administration of approach-positive AAT influences social behavior in the laboratory. The goal of this study is to examine the effects of a four-session AAT procedure on measures of positive social-emotional functioning. The investigators hypothesize that individuals assigned to the approach-positive AAT condition will demonstrate larger increases in positive affect and improvements in social relationship functioning from pre- to post-assessment compared to those assigned to the control condition.
Social Anxiety Disorder
The main aim of the study is to investigate the effects of ±3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA; ecstasy) on social and emotional processing in healthy humans. Ecstasy is a widely used recreational drug, with over 2 million Americans reporting use of the drug in 2006. With this number of users, and evidence that high doses of MDMA are neurotoxic in laboratory animals, the public health implications of ecstasy use may be substantial. Certain subjective effects of this drug distinguish it from other stimulants, and may contribute to its widespread use: That is, users report that ecstasy produces profound feelings of empathy and closeness to others. These so-called 'empathogenic' effects, which may reflect the distinctive neurochemical profile of action of the drug, have yet to be characterized in controlled laboratory studies. The investigators propose to characterize the effects of MDMA on measures of social and emotional processing that may contribute to this 'empathogenic' profile, including measures of emotion recognition, emotional responsiveness and sociability. The investigators will assess effects of MDMA (0, 0.75 and 1.5 mg/kg up to 125 mg) one active control drug (oxytocin: 20 IU) in 100 volunteers who report some prior ecstasy use. Oxytocin will be used because it appears to produce pro-social behavioral effects resembling those attributed to MDMA.
Drug Addiction
This study will test a version of cognitive behavioral therapy for generalized anxiety disorders that incorporates interpersonal and emotional processing techniques.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
This study will be conducted in healthy volunteers to investigate the effect of single dose GSK561679 on the changes of brain activation, as it compares to an active comparator, lorazepam.
Depressive Disorder and Anxiety Disorders
The purpose of the study is to assess the effects of temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) on memory and emotional functioning. The study will evaluate the known lateralized neurological dysfunction(Right TLE versus Left TLE) on emotional verbal and visual memory function. Study data will assess the ability of participants with known lateralized neurological dysfunction (Right TLE versus Left TLE) to differentially perceive emotional stimuli. Another component of the study will evaluate possible changes in memory function for emotionally charged material following right or left temporal lobectomy for the treatment of medically intractable epilepsy. It is expected participants with known lateralized dysfunction will exhibit differential ability to discriminate emotional charged visual and verbal material.
Epilepsy
Data suggests that imaging activity of the brain can measure the effects of anti-anxiety drugs. This study will investigate the effect of GW876008 on areas of the brain involved with thinking and emotion
Healthy Subjects
This study will examine the role of a brain chemical called norepinephrine in thinking, decision-making, and emotional processing. After norepinephrine is released from a brain cell, it binds to another brain cell's receptor. Some of the receptors it binds to are called alpha-2 adrenergic receptors. This study will use medicines called yohimbine and guanfacine to look at the function of norepinephrine in the brain when it binds to the alpha-2 adrenergic receptors. Yohimbine increases norepinephrine's function and guanfacine decreases its function. Healthy volunteers between 20 and 50 years of age who do not have heart disease, high blood pressure, psychiatric illness, or other serious medical conditions and who are not allergic to lactose may be eligible for this study. Candidates are screened with a medical and psychiatric history, physical examination, neuropsychological testing, blood and urine tests and electrocardiogram. Women are screened with a urine pregnancy test. Participants are given a pill of yohimbine, guanfacine, or placebo and undergo the following tests and procedures: * Blood pressure and heart rate measurements: Blood pressure and heart rate are measured before the medication is taken and several times after. * Blood draws: Blood is drawn before the medicine is taken and 90 minutes after to measure levels of norepinephrine and the hormone cortisol. * Neurocognitive testing: Participants do neurocognitive tasks on the computer for up to 90 minutes. The tasks involve looking at pictures or words on a screen and responding according to instructions given. * Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): Patients may undergo neurocognitive testing MRIs. This test uses a strong magnetic field and radio waves to show changes in brain activity. The subject lies on a table that slides into a narrow cylinder (the MRI scanner). Images of the brain are obtained while the subject performs the computer tasks.
Psychopathy, Mental Disorders
This study will use magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) and the drug gabapentin to examine the role of the brain chemical gamma-amino-butyric acid (GABA) in regulating emotions in healthy people. Gabapentin, which is used to treat epilepsy, increases GABA concentrations in the brain. MRS, similar to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), is a diagnostic test that uses a magnetic field and radio waves to produce images of the brain. Non-smoking, healthy normal volunteers between 18 and 60 years of age may be eligible for this study. Candidates are screened with a medical history and physical examination, psychiatric evaluation, blood and urine tests, and an electrocardiogram (EKG). At three separate clinic visits, participants are given either gabapentin or a placebo (an inactive look-alike capsule). They take placebo at one visit, 600 mg of gabapentin at another visit, and 1200 mg of gabapentin at another visit. One hour after taking the capsules, the amount of GABA in the brain is measured by MRS. For this procedure, the subject lies on a table that moves into the MRI scanner (a narrow cylinder), wearing earplugs to muffle loud knocking and thumping sounds that occur during the scanning process. The procedure lasts about 45 to 60 minutes, during which the patient is asked to lie still for up to a few minutes at a time.
Healthy
This study will examine the role of serotonin function in the brain. Serotonin, one of the brain's natural chemicals, connects with receptors on brain cells to regulate emotion, anxiety, sleep, stress hormones, and other body functions that are disturbed in various mood and anxiety disorders. Also, the research will look at the function of particular brain areas, how they are involved in regulating emotions, and how serotonin is involved in the regulation of their function. The procedures entailed are tryptophan depletion and magnetic resonance imagining (MRI). Also, researchers' understanding of the genetic causes of mood and anxiety disorders will increase through examination of participants' DNA. Adults in good health, ages 20 through 50, may be eligible for this study. Among those not eligible are females who are pregnant or breast feeding, patients with psychiatric or central nervous system disease, and those taking medications that would interfere with study results. At the first visit, patients will be asked about their general mood, degree of nervousness, thinking skills, and behavior. The session will last from 1.5 to 2.0 hours. A blood sample of about 2 tablespoons will be drawn, for DNA study. Participants will undergo the following procedures and tests: * Physical examination. * Test of vital signs, lying and standing. * Electrocardiogram. * Collection of blood for chemistry and hematology. * Urinalysis. * HIV, urine drug, and hepatitis screening. * Psychiatric screening. * (SqrRoot) -HCG pregnancy test, if applicable. At the second visit, patients will receive either tryptophan depletion or placebo, and 5 hours later, the study will begin, to last up to 2 additional hours. Patients will be asked periodically about their emotional state or changes in their well-being. The MRI system will create images of the brain's blood flow and measure glucose metabolism as a measure of brain activity. During the MRI scan, patients will hear knocking or beeping sounds, and they will wear earplugs to reduce the noise. Patients will be able to communicate with the MRI staff at all times during the scan, and they may ask to be moved out of the machine at any time. The MRI session lasts up to 1.5 hours. Results of any medical tests or other information will not be provided to participants, because further research may be needed before such results are meaningful. But if meaningful information develops from this study that may be important for a participant's health, he or she will be notified about it when it becomes available.
Healthy
This study will use magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to identify brain regions involved in performing certain tasks, especially those involving emotions. MRI is a diagnostic tool that uses a strong magnetic field and radio waves to produce images of structural and chemical changes in the brain. The study will also examine which MRI techniques are best to use when scanning brain areas involved in different emotions. Healthy normal volunteers between 18 and 40 years of age who are right-handed and are native English speakers may be eligible for this study. Individuals with a history of neurological disease, post-traumatic stress disorder or other psychiatric disorder, or who have a history of physical or sexual abuse may not participate. Candidates will be screened with a written questionnaire and a medical history, including psychiatric and neurological information. Participants will perform tasks involving emotions while undergoing MRI scanning. For this procedure, the subject lies on a table in a narrow metal cylinder (the scanner) containing a magnetic field. Scanning time varies from 20 minutes to 3 hours, with most scans lasting between 45 and 90 minutes. The subject is asked to lie still for up to 10 minutes at a time. During the scan, the subject performs simple tasks involving the viewing of pictures on a screen. Other tasks involve viewing pictures and responding to them by pressing buttons. Some pictures are violent or pornographic, while others are pleasant to view. Of a total of 162 pictures, 30 percent are categorized as graphic and possibly disturbing.
Healthy
The goal of this study is to test the efficacy, feasibility, and acceptability of providing an experiential assessment interview that targets health, and emotional and stressful experiences in a tertiary care setting specializing in women's urology.
Chronic Urogenital Pain
The goal of this study is to test the feasibility and acceptability of providing an experiential assessment interview that targets emotional and stressful experiences in primary care. In this randomized, controlled trial, the investigators will compare an interview condition to a wait-list control condition. The investigators hypothesize that helping individuals first identify the links between their stress and symptoms will likely increase their awareness and endorsement of the link between stress and physical symptoms, including a willingness to engage in stress management techniques. It is also expected that helping raise an individual's awareness about their symptoms, followed by an experience and expression of unexpressed emotions is likely to influence their physical symptoms and psychological status.
Somatoform Disorders
The primary goal of this study is to test the efficacy of emotional awareness and expression training (EAET), a novel emotional processing intervention that the investigators have developed, for people with IBS. In this randomized, controlled trial, the investigators will compare EAET to a standard intervention that teaches the conceptually opposite approach-relaxation training (RT)-and test how both of these interventions compare to a wait-list control condition. The investigators hypothesize that individuals in the EAET group will demonstrate greater improvement in their IBS symptom severity, psychological functioning, quality of life, and health care utilization at 4 and 12-week follow-up time points, compared to individuals in the wait-list control group. It is also expected that both of the active interventions (EAET and RT) will be more efficacious than the wait-list control condition.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
This study examines whether depression in people with borderline personality disorder is different than depression in people without borderline personality disorder. Unlike people who have depression alone (i.e. without borderline personality disorder), people with borderline personality disorder have depressions that often do not improve with medications. This makes treating depression much more challenging in someone with borderline personality disorder than without borderline personality disorder. Borderline personality disorderis associated with difficulty in understanding and communicating feelings. Impaired emotion processing may reflect dysfunction of an area of the brain, the anterior cingulate. Depression is associated with changes in anterior cingulate activity. The investigators believe that when borderline personality disorder is present with depression, brain activity changes in the anterior cingulate will not be the same as in depressed patients without borderline personality disorder. An electroencephalogram records brain electrical activity. In this study, the investigators will measure electroencephalogram indices reflecting anterior cingulate activity. HYPOTHESIS: In this study, the investigators predict that when borderline personality is present with depression, electroencephalogram indices of anterior cingulate activity will be different from when depression is present alone (without borderline personality). This could help to explain why people with borderline personality have depressions that are harder to treat than depressions in people without borderline personality. The investigators also predict that electroencephalogram indices of the anterior cingulate will reflect emotional processing ability, as measured by validated questionnaires.
Borderline Personality Disorder, Major Depression
\*\*\*Please note that this study does not offer comprehensive treatment program for alcohol abuse or depression. Please do not contact the study staff if you are seeking psychological treatment. Further, this study is only enrolling people who are clients at Career and Recovery Resources, Inc., in Houston. The hypothesis is that writing about feelings and thoughts will help people who are in group treatment feel less depressed and abuse alcohol less.
Depression, Alcohol, Drinking
This study will investigate how the brain process emotions in healthy people and in patients who have major depression in order to better understand the causes of depression. It will examine what happens in the brain when a person responds to words related to different emotions while the brain's ability to manufacture a chemical called serotonin is reduced. Serotonin regulates functions such as emotion, anxiety and sleep, and stress hormones such as cortisol. In this study, participants' serotonin levels are reduced by depleting tryptophan, an amino acid that is the main building block for serotonin. Healthy volunteers and patients with major depression that has been in remission for at least 3 months may be eligible for this study. Candidates must be between 18 and 50 years of age and right-handed. They are interviewed about their medical and psychiatric history, current emotional state and sleep pattern, and family history of psychiatric disorders. Screening also includes psychiatric interviews and rating scales, neuropsychological tests, physical examination, electrocardiogram (EKG), and blood, urine, and saliva tests. Women have their menstrual phase determined by a blood test and home urine ovulation test kit. The study involves two clinic visits in which participants undergo tryptophan depletion and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Subjects arrive at the NIH Clinical Center in the morning after fasting overnight. They fill out questionnaires have a blood sample drawn, and then take 74 capsules that contain a mixture of amino acids found in the diet. At one visit they are given capsules that contain a balanced mixture of amino acids one would normally eat in a day; at the other visit, some of the capsules contain lactose instead of tryptophan, causing tryptophan depletion. At 2 p.m. participants fill out the same questionnaires they completed at the beginning of the day and have another blood sample drawn. Then they do a computerized test in the MRI scanner. MRI uses a magnet and radio waves to obtain pictures of the brain. For the test, subjects lie on a narrow bed that slides into the cylindrical MRI scanner. They are asked to press a button in response to words associated with different emotions that appear on a screen. Arterial spin labeling - a test that uses magnetism to measure blood flow in different areas of the brain-is also done during the procedure. After the scan, subjects eat a meal and then return home. DNA from the participants' blood samples is also examined to try to better understand the genetic causes of depression. Some of the white cells from the samples may also be grown in the laboratory so that additional studies can be done later. ...
Depressive Disorder, Major
This study uses functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to look at brain activity while patients view pictures of people's faces that they are familiar with or have emotional attachment to. The functional MRI (fMRI) procedure allows researchers to "see the brain at work." It uses the same powerful magnetic fields and weak electromagnetic radiation (radiowaves) as standard structural MRI. However, functional MRI can also show areas of increased blood flow, which relates to increased activity by brain cells. This research study builds on previous studies that identified specific areas of the brain that are activated by visual stimuli showing faces. However, previous research used anonymous faces as stimuli. This study will use faces of individuals known to the patient. There are three experiments that will be conducted in the study; 1. Experiment 1 will attempt to determine the effects of familiarity of the photographed face on brain activity patterns. Patients will view familiar faces, the faces of close friends and relatives, and the faces of famous people. 2. Experiment 2 will look at how maternal attachment affects the response to visual stimuli. Mothers will view pictures of their first born child, as well as those of familiar children to whom they are not related, unfamiliar children, and unfamiliar adults. 3. Experiment 3 will explore the effects of interpersonal attachment and loss on response to visual stimuli. In this experiment, bereaved spouses will view pictures of their deceased spouse, those of living family members, and those of unfamiliar people.
Bereavement, Healthy
The purpose of this study is to identify how trauma-focused psychotherapy changes the function of brain circuitry in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and how this mediates improvements in the diminished ability to experience positive emotions following a traumatic or extremely stressful life event. In this instance, the investigators will be using cognitive processing therapy (CPT), a widely-utilized and evidence-based treatment for PTSD.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Diminished Pleasure, Anhedonia, PTSD, Chronic PTSD, Chronic Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
The primary objective of this research is to examine two brief interventions for depression, Behavioral Activation (BA), and Problem Solving Therapy (PST), to investigate whether exposure to adverse childhood experiences influences change in the hypothesized target treatment mechanisms linked to each intervention. Research suggests that the treatment targets of BA (reward processing) may be well-matched for youths exposed to childhood adversity, due to disruptions in reward that are linked with adversity exposure. The investigators will examine the effects of youths' adverse life experiences on change in reward-related treatment targets in BA, and compare this to change in the treatment targets of PST, executive functioning processes. The first aim is to investigate the effects of childhood adversity on change in target treatment mechanisms in BA and PST. The second aim is to test whether changes in reward processes is specific to BA, and not PST, among youths exposed to adversity. The third aim is to test the match of BA for depression among youths exposed to adversity, by examining whether BA results in greater reductions in depression symptoms among youths with greater adversity exposure. The investigators will also test whether greater change in reward in associated with greater depression symptom reductions in BA, and not PST.
Depression in Adolescence, Adverse Childhood Experiences
This study will examine the efficacy of a clinical intervention for improving emotional processing in individuals with MS and TBI.(1)The main outcome measure will be changes in emotional processing measures from pre to post treatment. (2)This study will also assess the impact of the emotional processing intervention on changes in pre and post treatment depression and anxiety, as well as fatigue.(3) This study will additionally measure the impact of the emotional processing intervention on cognitive functioning, specifically processing speed, attention and executive abilities. This will be accomplished through the completion of a neuropsychological battery prior to and following the completion of treatment.(4)Finally, the investigators will measure the impact of the intervention on quality of life and social functioning, utilizing a pre and post treatment assessment consisting of measures of self-efficacy, quality of life, functional abilities, and awareness.
Multiple Sclerosis, Traumatic Brain Injury
Purpose: To investigate the electrophysiological correlates of human cognition and affective processing. Participants: Drug-resistant epilepsy patients undergoing epilepsy surgery cortical mapping with continuous electrocorticography (ECoG) with intracranial electrodes. Procedures (methods): Participants will perform computer-based cognitive and affective processing tasks during routine long-term monitoring. Intracranial EEG will be collected during the task
Working Memory, Emotions
The objective will be to determine if adding repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation prior to Cognitive Processing Therapy significantly enhances recovery from hyperarousal symptoms in individuals with combat related post traumatic stress disorder and improves clinical outcome. The investigators have assembled a multimodal human performance laboratory including 64 channel EEG and repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation system. These resources combined with the neuroimaging capabilities of the Advanced Imaging Research Center (AIRC) at UT Southwestern and skilled Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) practitioners will be used in this study. The study involves approximately 19 visits. Treatment is once a week for 12 weeks followed by a 1 month, 3 month and 6 month follow-up appointments.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
This project is focused on the neural and behavioral correlates of two different videos games that will be used as training tools. The two video games, developed by the Games Learning Society research group at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW) and the Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, are tailored to train mindfulness, particularly the regulation of attention; and prosocial behavior, especially sensitivity to others, in adolescents. This study will evaluate the hypothesis that systematic playing of mindfulness and prosocial games will change brain function in specific attentional, social and emotional circuits in potentially beneficial ways, and will impact performance on cognitive tasks of attention, and on measures of social cue perception and the propensity to share and behave altruistically. The investigators will employ behavioral and functional MRI-based neuroimaging measures to evaluate the investigators hypothesis.
Attentional Processing, Adolescent Behavior