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Could a memory drug boost antidepressants? small brain study launches

NCT ID NCT07139834

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now This study
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Sep 16, 2026 · Updated 5 times

Summary

This early study is testing whether adding the drug memantine (used for Alzheimer's) to a standard antidepressant can improve how the brain processes memories in people with major depression. Thirty adults aged 18-50 will take an SSRI for 11 weeks, and for the last 6 weeks they will also receive either memantine or a placebo. Researchers will use brain scans and memory tasks to see if the combination works better than the antidepressant alone.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
escitalopram (or sertraline) and extended-release memantine
What this could lead to
If successful, this could point toward a new way to boost memory and thinking in people with depression by adding memantine to standard antidepressants.
What could go wrong
This is a very small, early-phase study (30 people) focused on brain scans and cognitive tests, not on curing depression. The results may not lead to a new treatment and could fail to show any benefit.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Phase 1

The first testing in people. Mainly checks safety and dose, usually in a small group.

Participants

About 30 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Started

Jun 2026

Expected to finish

Jun 2027

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

18 to 50 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Age 18-50 * Current diagnosis of MDD without psychotic features assessed within three weeks of study enrollment * 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale score ≥17 assessed within 3 weeks of study enrollment * Using an effective form of contraception at study enrollment and agrees to continue throughout study participation for individuals of child-bearing potential * Capacity to provide informed consent * Proficient in English * Willing to provide emergency contact Exclusion Criteria: * Currently taking an antidepressant medication at study enrollment * Pregnant or breastfeeding at time of enrollment * Evidence of current unstable medical illness, including liver or renal impairment, or unstable cardiovascular or respiratory illness * QTc interval greater than 500 ms * Current genitourinary conditions that raise urine pH such as a) renal tubular acidosis or b) severe infection of the urinary tract. * Clinically significant neurological conditions, including a) history of stroke, b) previous head injury with evidence of cognitive impairment, c) history of malignancy or d) history of seizure disorder. (headache, migraines, pain disorders, and other conditions not exclusionary) * Lifetime diagnosis of a) bipolar disorder, b) psychotic disorder, or c) dementia * Current active suicidal ideation * Current substance use disorder other than tobacco use disorder * Current or recent (past 6 months) treatment with antipsychotics; current or recent (past 1 month) treatment with benzodiazepines; current use of prescribed stimulant medication; current use of other NMDA antagonists (amantadine, ketamine, dextromethorphan) * Current use of disulfiram with oral concentrate, MAOIs (including linezolid or IV methylene blue), or pimozide * History of hypersensitivity or allergic reaction to a) memantine hydrochloride or any of its components/excipients, b) citalopram, escitalopram, or any other component of the product, or c) sertraline or any other component of the product * Concurrent or recent (past 6 months) participation in another clinical trial for mental illness involving an investigational product or device * Lack of response to or intolerable side-effects from trials of two or more selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors of adequate dose and duration at study enrollment * Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in the past 6 months * Any condition or material in the body that is a contraindication for MRI procedures * Weight that exceeds 300 lbs or inability to fit into MRI scanner * MST LDI score greater than 0.5

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

How to take part

Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.

  1. The study's own enquiry address

    This study publishes an address for enquiries. See it below .

  2. The places running it

    1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.

  3. The official record

    ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.

    Open the record ↗

  4. A doctor treating you

    A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.

Contacts and locations

Study contacts

  • Contact

    Email: •••••@•••••

  • Contact

    Email: •••••@•••••

Locations

  • New York State Psychiatric Institute (NYSPI)

    RECRUITING

    New York, New York, 10032, United States

    Contact Email: •••••@•••••

    Contact Email: •••••@•••••

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