Brain scans and blood tests could predict best depression meds
NCT ID NCT05017311
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study aims to find out if a special algorithm can predict which antidepressant will work best for each person with major depression. Researchers will use brain scans, EEGs, and blood tests from 400 adults to see if they can match people to the right medication faster. The goal is to move away from trial-and-error prescribing and make treatment more effective from the start.
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 4
Runs after approval, following long-term safety and how well the treatment works in everyday use.
- Participants
-
About 400 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
-
Jan 2023
- Expected to finish
-
Apr 2029
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 65 years
- Sex
-
Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
-
Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide 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.
Patients Inclusion Criteria: * Outpatients 18 to 65 years of age. * Meet DSM-5 criteria for MDE in MDD as determined by SCID-5. * Free of psychotropic medications for at least 5 half-lives (e.g. 1 week for most antidepressants, 5 weeks for fluoxetine) before baseline Visit 1 (exceptions: stable use of hypnotics; stable use of stimulants for attention-deficit/hyperactive disorder). * MADRS score ≥ 24. * Fluency in English, sufficient to complete the interviews and self-report questionnaires. Exclusion Criteria: * Any diagnosis, other than MDD, that is considered the primary diagnosis. * Bipolar I or Bipolar-II diagnosis. * Presence of a significant Axis II diagnosis (borderline, antisocial). * High suicidal risk, defined by clinician judgment. * Substance dependence/abuse in the past 6 months. * Presence of significant neurological disorders, head trauma, or other unstable medical conditions. * Pregnant or breastfeeding. * Failure of 4 or more adequate pharmacologic interventions (as determined by the Antidepressant Treatment History Form). * Started psychological treatment within the past 3 months with the intent of continuing treatment. * Patients who have previously failed escitalopram or showed intolerance to escitalopram or brexpiprazole, and patients at risk for hypomanic switch (i.e. with a history of antidepressant induced hypomania). Healthy Comparison (HC) Participants Inclusion Criteria: * 18 to 65 years of age. * No history of psychiatric disorders (as determined by SCID-5) or significant physical conditions (e.g. arthritis, fibromyalgia). * Fluency in English, sufficient to complete the interviews and self-report questionnaires.
Get updates
Get notified about this study
Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Major depressive disorder are added.
Genom att skicka in godkänner du våra Användarvillkor
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.
-
The places running it
10 sites. The list below names each one and where it is.
-
The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
-
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
Locations
-
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
RECRUITINGToronto, Ontario, M6J1H4, Canada
-
McMaster University
RECRUITINGHamilton, Ontario, L8P3B6, Canada
-
Nova Scotia Health Authority
RECRUITINGHalifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 2E2, Canada
-
Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences
RECRUITINGWhitby, Ontario, L1N 0H7, Canada
-
Queen's University
RECRUITINGKingston, Ontario, K7L4X3, Canada
-
The Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre
RECRUITINGOttawa, Ontario, K1Z 7K4, Canada
-
University Health Network
RECRUITINGToronto, Ontario, M5T2S8, Canada
-
University of British Columbia
RECRUITINGVancouver, British Columbia, V6T2A1, Canada
-
University of Calgary
RECRUITINGCalgary, Alberta, T2N 2T9, Canada
-
University of Saskatchewan
RECRUITINGSaskatoon, Saskatchewan, S7N 0W8, Canada
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Can a new oral drug lift severe depression?
- Magnetic pulses target teen depression
- Can an antipsychotic restore feelings in people with depression?
- Can intense brain zaps lift depression? scientists track blood flow in real time
- Can an ancient herbal capsule boost antidepressant power?
- Can talk therapy keep Esketamine's relief going?