National Institute Of Mental Health (nimh)

This study tests whether a new drug called HNK can quickly improve symptoms in people with major depression that hasn't responded to other treatments. About 50 adults aged 18 to 70 will receive four infusions of HNK and four of a placebo over several weeks, with their depression …

This study tests two psychological treatments—Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Interpretation Bias Training (IBT)—for children aged 8 to 17 with severe irritability and temper outbursts, a condition called Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD). Participants will rec…

This study tests whether adding a computer task called gaze-contingent music reward therapy (GCMRT) to standard cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) helps reduce anxiety in children aged 8 to 17. In GCMRT, children look at faces on a screen while pleasant music plays or stops depen…

This study tests whether playing virtual reality games can improve cognitive skills like attention and memory in children aged 8 to 16 with ADHD. Participants will play four different VR games for 20 minutes a day, five days a week, for four weeks. The trial starts with a pilot p…

This study looks at how ketamine affects the brain in people with major depression and healthy volunteers. Researchers use brain scans, blood tests, and other measures to understand why a single dose works quickly but briefly. The goal is to find biomarkers that could lead to bet…

This study tests a new type of sensor (OPM) that measures the tiny magnetic fields produced by brain activity. Researchers want to see if it can pinpoint brain activity more accurately than current technology. About 75 healthy adults aged 18-65 will do tasks like listening to sou…

This study tests a new radioactive tracer to see if it can measure brain inflammation in people with Alzheimer's disease or mild cognitive impairment. Researchers will compare scans from 90 volunteers (patients and healthy older adults) to understand how inflammation relates to m…

This study aims to understand what happens in the brain when someone thinks about or attempts suicide. Researchers will use brain scans, sleep monitoring, blood tests, and questionnaires to compare four groups: people with recent suicidal thoughts or attempts, those with past sui…

This study is recruiting up to 2,000 healthy adults aged 18-70 to create a pool of volunteers for future NIMH research. Participants complete online surveys, an in-person visit with medical and mental health checks, and optional brain scans. Their de-identified data will be share…

This study aims to understand how the brain responds to frustration in healthy adults aged 18 to 55. Participants will undergo brain scans (MRI and MEG) while performing a task that may cause frustration. The goal is to identify brain activity patterns linked to frustration, whic…

This study uses brain scans (fMRI) to see how blood flow changes in the brain when healthy adults do tasks involving vision, recognition, and memory. Researchers aim to understand normal brain function. Participants must be 18–65, healthy, and fluent in English.

This observational study aims to understand why some people are more impulsive or compulsive than others. Researchers will use brain scans, genetic tests, and behavioral surveys in 1,100 participants aged 6 to 80, including those with ADHD, OCD, autism, and conduct disorder. The …

This study looks at children and teens ages 7-17 who have severe mood problems like chronic anger, sadness, or irritability, along with extreme tantrums. Researchers will use interviews, tests, and brain imaging to understand what happens in the brain. Up to 2,350 participants wi…

This study tests a new radioactive tracer called 11C-ARMI in healthy adults aged 18 and older. The tracer is designed to attach to certain chemicals in the brain and light up during PET scans, which could help researchers study diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. Participa…

This NIH study aims to understand what causes depression in teenagers and how the brain changes with the condition. Researchers will compare depressed teens with healthy ones using interviews, computer tasks, and brain scans. Eligible participants may also receive free talk thera…

This study uses magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) to measure how the brain processes glucose into key chemical messengers like glutamate and GABA. Researchers aim to improve the accuracy and reliability of MRS technology. The study involves 200 healthy adults aged 18-65 and f…

This study aims to learn how sleep changes as children's brains grow, by collecting sleep and development data from healthy children and those with conditions like autism or ADHD. About 244 children ages 6 months to 8 years will have overnight sleep studies, developmental tests, …

This study looks at how the brains of children with anxiety disorders work differently from healthy children. Researchers will use brain scans and thinking tasks to track changes over a year, before and after standard treatments like therapy or medication. The goal is to find pat…

This study looks at how people with certain types of brain damage process what they see and pay attention. Researchers will compare them to healthy volunteers using brain scans like fMRI and MEG. The goal is to better understand which brain areas are involved in visual attention.

This study aims to improve magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and spectroscopy (MRS) techniques to better see and measure brain chemicals. Researchers will scan 300 healthy adults aged 18 to 65 to test and refine these imaging methods. The goal is to develop more accurate tools for…

This study screens up to 5,000 healthy volunteers and people at risk for psychiatric or neurodevelopmental disorders like autism. Participants undergo interviews, cognitive tests, and other evaluations to see if they qualify for future research studies at NIH. The goal is to buil…

This study aims to learn more about childhood-onset behavioral, psychiatric, and developmental disorders by observing people of all ages who have these conditions, along with their family members. Researchers will collect medical histories, perform psychiatric assessments, and ma…

This study uses PET scans to measure levels of COX-1 and COX-2, enzymes linked to inflammation, in the brains of people with major depressive disorder (MDD) during a depressive episode. Researchers will compare these levels between MDD participants and healthy volunteers. The goa…

This study is testing whether a radioactive tracer called 11C-PS13 can detect brain inflammation in people who have long-term neurological symptoms after COVID-19. Researchers will compare PET scans from 60 adults (both healthy volunteers and those with long COVID) to see if the …

This study tests a new radioactive tracer called 11C-JMJ-129 to see how well it can image a protein called PDE4D in the brain and body of healthy volunteers. PDE4D is linked to thinking and mood, and may play a role in disorders like Alzheimer's and depression. Researchers will a…

This study looks at a brain protein called PDE4B in people with alcohol use disorder. Researchers want to see if levels of this protein change during alcohol withdrawal and after a few weeks of not drinking. The study involves 30 adults who will have two PET brain scans and possi…

This study aims to see if people with major depressive disorder have lower levels of an enzyme called PDE4B in their brains compared to healthy volunteers. Researchers will use PET and MRI scans along with an experimental radioactive tracer to measure this enzyme. The study invol…

This study tests a new radioactive tracer called [11C]ZTP-1 to see if it can measure a protein called PDE4B in the brain and body. PDE4B helps control inflammation and brain signals. Forty healthy adults will get the tracer and have PET/CT scans. The goal is to see if this tracer…

This study uses special PET scans to measure inflammation in the brains of people with Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, ALS, and other neurodegenerative diseases. Researchers will compare these scans to those from healthy volunteers to see if inflammation levels differ. The goal is to d…

This study looks at how alcohol changes a brain protein called PDE4B, which may be linked to alcohol use disorder. Healthy social drinkers aged 21 to 70 will have brain scans before and after receiving alcohol. The goal is to understand how alcohol affects this protein, which cou…

This study follows 500 adults already receiving care for depression, bipolar disorder, or suicide risk at the NIH. Researchers will conduct weekly interviews and optional tests like blood draws and brain scans to track symptoms and treatment responses. The goal is to better under…

This study looks at how physical activity, sleep, and light exposure relate to mood in people with bipolar disorder, major depression, or no mood disorder. Over two years, participants wear activity monitors and complete smartphone diaries for up to 20 days at a time. The goal is…

This study follows healthy boys and girls from ages 8 to 17, using brain scans and hormone tests to see how puberty affects brain structure and function. Researchers aim to understand why mental health conditions like depression and schizophrenia often emerge during adolescence. …

This study at the National Institute of Mental Health screens up to 16,000 people with mood or anxiety disorders, as well as healthy volunteers, to see if they can join other research studies. Participants undergo evaluations like psychiatric interviews, brain scans, and lab test…

This study aims to understand how the brain develops in children with Williams syndrome or 7q11.23 duplication syndrome, compared to healthy children. Researchers will use MRI scans and cognitive tests to track changes over time. The goal is to learn how these genetic variations …

This study aims to understand how the brain processes what we see, like faces, tools, and scenes. Healthy volunteers aged 18-50 will perform visual tasks while having brain scans (MRI) and receiving mild brain stimulation (TMS or tES). The goal is to map which brain areas handle …

This study aims to improve MRI imaging methods to better understand how mood and anxiety disorders affect the brain. Researchers will scan healthy volunteers and people with major depressive disorder while they perform tasks or view images. The goal is to refine these techniques …

This study looks at how negative emotions like stress, pain, and frustration change the way people make decisions. Healthy adults aged 18 to 55 will experience different emotional triggers—such as heat, cold, or math problems—and then perform computer tasks while their brain acti…

This study looks at how ketamine, a fast-acting antidepressant, affects the brain. Researchers want to understand if a specific brain receptor (AMPA) is key to its effects. Seventy adults with treatment-resistant depression will take part, receiving ketamine and a drug that block…

This study looks at how a brain chemical called GABA may affect the way people with autism process sound. Researchers will use brain scans and magnetic pulses to measure brain activity in children and young adults. The goal is to better understand the brain, not to provide treatm…

This study follows 1000 adults who previously took part in mood disorder research at NIH. Participants complete online surveys and optional phone interviews about their current symptoms, treatments, and well-being. The goal is to learn how depression, bipolar disorder, and suicid…