Study of the Effects of an Antidepressant Medication and Placebo on the Brain Functioning of Normal Subjects

Summary

This study examines the effects of an antidepressant medication and placebo on the brain functioning of normal subjects. In this study, recordings of brain electrical activity are being used to detect and monitor the response to treatment with venlafaxine IR (Effexor), a drug used for the treatment of depression. The intent of this study is to test specific hypotheses regarding: 1. long-term brain effects of a single course of antidepressant treatment 2. pharmaco-conditioning effects underlying antidepressant tolerance/sensitization 3. brain functional response to initial versus subsequent antidepressant trials in normal healthy subjects.

Timeline

Start

2008-02

Primary completion

2009-02

Completion

2009-02

Outcome

Missed primary endpoint

registry analysis (superiority test); Antidepressant Treatment-experienced vs Antidepressant Treatment-naive; p = 0.55; t-test, 2 sided NCT00634283 ↗

Publications

• Results Hunter AM, Cook IA, Abrams M, Leuchter AF. Neurophysiologic effects of repeated exposure to antidepressant medication: are brain functional changes during antidepressant administration influenced by learning processes? Med Hypotheses. 2013 Dec;81(6):1004-11. doi: 10.1016/j.mehy.2013.09.016. Epub 2013 Sep 17.

Drugs

Indications