National Institute Of Mental Health (nimh)

This study tests whether playing virtual reality games can improve thinking skills in children aged 8 to 16 with ADHD. The games target areas like attention, memory, and self-control. Participants play for 20 minutes a day, five days a week, for four weeks. The trial starts with …

This study tests whether adding a computer-based music therapy that tracks eye movements (GCMRT) to standard talk therapy (CBT) works better than CBT alone for children with anxiety. About 150 kids aged 8 to 17 with separation, generalized, or social anxiety will take part. They …

This study tests two psychological treatments—Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and a computer-based training called Interpretation Bias Training (IBT)—to help children aged 8 to 17 with severe irritability and temper outbursts (Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder). Participa…

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 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 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 tracks up to 1,260 people aged 8 to 60 with or without mood disorders like bipolar disorder or major depression. Over two years, participants wear activity monitors, light sensors, and complete daily smartphone diaries about mood, sleep, and activities. The goal is to …

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 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 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 observational study at the National Institute of Mental Health aims to understand why some people are more impulsive or compulsive than others. Researchers will study brain scans, genetics, and behavior in 1,100 participants aged 6 to 80, including those with conditions like…

This study is a screening program run by the National Institute of Mental Health. It aims to carefully evaluate healthy volunteers and people with conditions like autism or other neurodevelopmental disorders. Participants undergo interviews, cognitive tests, and other assessments…

This study aims to see if a new radioactive tracer called [11C]ZTP-1 can help measure a protein called PDE4B in the brain and body. PDE4B controls inflammation and brain signals. Forty healthy adults aged 18 and older will get PET/CT scans after receiving the tracer. The goal is …

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 looks at how the brain works in children aged 8-17 with anxiety or depression. Researchers use brain scans and thinking tasks to see how two standard treatments—talk therapy (CBT) or medication (fluoxetine)—affect brain activity over one year. The goal is to understand…

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 uses brain scans (MRI) and magnetic or electrical stimulation (TMS/tES) to understand how the brain recognizes objects, faces, and scenes. Healthy volunteers aged 18-50 will perform visual tasks while researchers measure brain activity. The goal is to learn more about …

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 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 screens up to 16,000 people aged 3 to 99 who have mood or anxiety disorders, or are healthy volunteers. The goal is to carefully evaluate participants for other research studies and collect natural history data. Participants undergo interviews, medical exams, brain sca…

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 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 type of sensor that measures the tiny magnetic fields produced by brain activity. Researchers want to see if it can locate where in the brain signals come from more accurately than current technology. Healthy adults aged 18-65 who have had an MRI can join. …

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 uses a special brain scan (MRS) to measure how the brain makes and uses two key chemicals: glutamate (which excites brain cells) and GABA (which calms them). Researchers will scan healthy adults aged 18-65 to improve the accuracy and reliability of this technique. 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 tests a new imaging method to see if a brain enzyme linked to inflammation is more active in people with Alzheimer's disease or mild cognitive impairment. Researchers will compare brain scans from 90 volunteers (patients and healthy older adults) using a special radioa…

This study looks at how certain types of brain damage change the way people pay attention to what they see. Researchers will compare adults with brain lesions (from stroke, injury, or surgery) to healthy volunteers using thinking tests, MRI scans, and MEG recordings. The goal is …

This study aims to see if a special PET scan can detect inflammation in the brains of people with diseases like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, ALS, and dementia. About 184 adults, including healthy volunteers, will receive two PET scans and an MRI. The goal is to better understand how…

This study follows 1000 adults who previously took part in mood disorder research at the National Institute of Mental Health. The goal is to understand the long-term impact of depression, bipolar disorder, and suicide risk. Participants complete online surveys and optional phone …

This study follows 500 adults receiving care for depression, bipolar disorder, or suicide risk. Researchers will use interviews, questionnaires, and optional tests like blood draws and brain scans to track how symptoms change over time. The goal is to find better ways to measure …

This study follows healthy boys and girls from age 8 to 17, using brain scans and hormone tests every 8-10 months. The goal is to understand how puberty changes the brain and behavior, and why some mental health conditions emerge during adolescence. Results may help prevent or tr…

This study aims to understand what happens in the brain when someone has thought about or attempted suicide. Researchers will use interviews, blood tests, brain scans, and sleep monitoring to compare four groups: people who recently had suicidal thoughts or attempts, those with p…

This study aims to learn more about psychiatric, behavioral, and developmental disorders that begin in childhood. Researchers will observe up to 1,000 people of any age who have these conditions, along with their family members. The goal is to better understand how these disorder…

This study aims to recruit up to 2,000 healthy adults aged 18-70 to serve as a reference group for other NIMH research studies. Participants complete online surveys, an in-person checkup, and optional brain scans. Their de-identified data will be shared with scientists to help un…

This study aims to learn more about what causes depression in teenagers and how the brain changes with it. Researchers will compare teens with depression to those without, using interviews, computer tasks, and brain scans. Participants may also receive free talk therapy or medica…

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 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 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, …