NCT02837432

Brief Summary

There is good evidence to suggest that the pathological version of sadness that people with Major Depression experience could be caused by the failure of the hormone cortisol to properly inhibit sadness-related brain activity in the subgenual cingulate cortex. This project investigates if the subgenual cingulate cortex has become insensitive to cortisol in patients with depression and tests for variants of the cortisol receptor genes that could predispose individuals to develop cortisol insensitivity.

Trial Health

87
On Track

Trial Health Score

Automated assessment based on enrollment pace, timeline, and geographic reach

Enrollment
192

participants targeted

Target at P75+ for early_phase_1 depression

Timeline
Completed

Started Jul 2016

Longer than P75 for early_phase_1 depression

Geographic Reach
1 country

1 active site

Status
completed

Health score is calculated from publicly available data and should be used for screening purposes only.

Trial Relationships

Click on a node to explore related trials.

Study Timeline

Key milestones and dates

Study Start

First participant enrolled

July 1, 2016

Completed
14 days until next milestone

First Submitted

Initial submission to the registry

July 15, 2016

Completed
4 days until next milestone

First Posted

Study publicly available on registry

July 19, 2016

Completed
3.4 years until next milestone

Primary Completion

Last participant's last visit for primary outcome

December 13, 2019

Completed
11 months until next milestone

Study Completion

Last participant's last visit for all outcomes

November 15, 2020

Completed
Last Updated

October 22, 2021

Status Verified

October 1, 2021

Enrollment Period

3.5 years

First QC Date

July 15, 2016

Last Update Submit

October 14, 2021

Conditions

Keywords

DepressionCortisolSadnessGeneticsStress

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

  • Sadness-induced subgenual cingulate activity as measured by functional magnetic resonance imaging.

    2 hours

Study Arms (2)

Healthy

OTHER

Healthy individuals will receive both the placebo and hydrocortisone interventions in a randomized order

Drug: Hydrocortisone acetateDrug: Placebo

Depression

OTHER

Individuals with depression will receive both the placebo and hydrocortisone interventions in a randomized order

Drug: Hydrocortisone acetateDrug: Placebo

Interventions

Also known as: Cortef
DepressionHealthy
DepressionHealthy

Eligibility Criteria

Age21 Years+
Sexall
Healthy VolunteersYes
Age GroupsAdult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

  • Healthy Participants must have no Axis 1 mental disorder
  • Participants with depression must meet minimum severity levels (Hamilton \>7)
  • All participants must weight less than 280 pounds for the purposes of MRI scanning

You may not qualify if:

  • In order to protect against risk associated with taking Hydrocortisone, all participants must not have any of the following:
  • Psychotropic medications
  • Recent surgery
  • Endocrine disorders
  • Liver disease
  • Kidney disease
  • Thyroid disorder
  • History of malaria
  • Tuberculosis
  • Osteoporosis
  • Glaucoma/cataracts
  • Chronic expressed infections (herpes --including ocular herpes, HIV, etc.)
  • History of congestive heart failure
  • History of recurring seizures
  • Stomach Ulcers
  • +10 more criteria

Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.

Sponsors & Collaborators

Study Sites (1)

Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, 401 Quarry Road

Stanford, California, 94305, United States

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Depression

Interventions

hydrocortisone acetateHydrocortisone

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Behavioral SymptomsBehavior

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

PregnenedionesPregnenesPregnanesSteroidsFused-Ring CompoundsPolycyclic Compounds11-HydroxycorticosteroidsHydroxycorticosteroidsAdrenal Cortex HormonesHormonesHormones, Hormone Substitutes, and Hormone Antagonists17-Hydroxycorticosteroids

Study Officials

  • Keith Sudheimer, Ph.D.

    Stanford University

    PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

Study Type
interventional
Phase
early phase 1
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Masking
DOUBLE
Who Masked
PARTICIPANT, INVESTIGATOR
Purpose
BASIC SCIENCE
Intervention Model
CROSSOVER
Sponsor Type
OTHER
Responsible Party
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
PI Title
Clinical Assistant Professor

Study Record Dates

First Submitted

July 15, 2016

First Posted

July 19, 2016

Study Start

July 1, 2016

Primary Completion

December 13, 2019

Study Completion

November 15, 2020

Last Updated

October 22, 2021

Record last verified: 2021-10

Locations