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Depression study needs volunteers
By Jim Dryden Investigators in the School of Medicine seek volunteers to participate in a research study for forms of depression that do not respond to standard treatment. Depression is the most common of all psychiatric illnesses, affecting about 15 percent of all people at some point in their lives. It has enormous economic consequences -- treatment, hospitalization and lost work time cost the U.S. economy about $20 billion every year. "Most depressed people respond well to antidepressant drugs," said Keith E. Isenberg, M.D., the Spencer T. Olin Professor, associate professor of psychiatry and principal investigator of the study. "But some people don’t respond, so we’re testing whether a combination of drugs might help them." Isenberg and colleagues first will evaluate volunteers to ensure they meet the official diagnostic guidelines for recurrent major depressive disorder. Then, to determine whether their depression is resistant to standard treatment, study volunteers with recurrent depression will be placed on the antidepressant drug fluoxetine (Prozac) for eight weeks. Patients who still are depressed after treatment will be randomly placed into one of three groups. One group will continue to receive fluoxetine. A second group will receive the medication olanzapine (Zyprexa) and the third group of study volunteers will receive a combination of both drugs. To be eligible, participants must be at least 18 and have recurrent depression. Participants will receive free screenings, a physical exam, an EKG, laboratory tests and study medication. All medical procedures will be paid for by Eli Lilly and Company, the study sponsor, and patients will be reimbursed for parking. Subjects will be seen once a week for 26 weeks. Investigators will draw blood several times during the study. Volunteers may choose to allow their DNA to be examined as part of the study, but it is not required. For more information, call Dana Downs at 362-5227. |
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