Childhood Depression: Structural MRI Study of Depressed Preschoolers at School Age

Contact name: Becky James, MSW, LCSW

Phone: (314)-286-2705

Fax: (314)-286-2732

Email: jamesr@psychiatry.wustl.edu

Disorder: Childhood Depression

Geographic location: St. Louis, MO

Other keywords:

Participant compensation: $240, $10 gift certificate for child, travel reimbursement for families coming from a distance

Time commitment required: 1 full day

Drug trial: No

Recruitment end date (approximate): December 2006

Study criteria (i.e., age or gender requirements):
Participation in prior study on early emotional development at Washington University School of Medicine.

Exclusion criteria:
Neurological Disorders
Metal plates/pins in body
Dental braces

Brief description of study:
The purpose of this study is to learn more about brain development in children who at preschool age showed some difficulty having fun. We are investigating whether this symptom at preschool age could be related to depression in childhood or later in life. The study will also investigate whether the shape and size of certain brain areas of children showing this symptom are similar to or different than same aged children who did not show this symptom. This study is being conducted in collaboration with a nation-wide federally funded study that is looking at childhood brain development. By conducting brain imaging and behavioral testing, in addition to the testing your child completed at preschool age, we can determine if the brain development of children who showed certain emotional symptoms in early childhood is different from those who did not show those symptoms. We will also be able to learn about how certain brain structures are associated with specific behaviors and abilities as they develop in childhood. The information that we collect may serve as a valuable resource for doctors and other clinicians and might tell us something about how depression develops.
The study has three parts:
The first part involves cognitive testing and interviews. You and you and your child will come to our research offices and your child will be administered tests that measure learning skills and problem-solving abilities and will be interviewed about his/her emotions and behaviors. At the same time you will be interviewed separately about your child’s emotions and behaviors. This appointment will last approximately 4 hours.
The second and third parts will be completed later on the same day. Your child will be given a physical and neurological examination by a physician to approximate whether s/he is in good general health and whether his/her nervous system has developed in a typical manner. The physical and neurological examination should last approximately 15 minutes.
The third part will involve your child participating in a specialized examination that will create pictures of the structures of the brain, an MRI. Your child will also have a magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) scan that measures the chemical composition of the brain. Both of these scans involve lying on a table, which is moved into a large cylinder. The MR scanner uses a magnet to make pictures of the brain. No X-rays are involved. The MR makes a loud noise, but there is no pain involved. In order to get the most accurate pictures of the brain, your child will need to be very still. Your child’s head and shoulders will lie in a plastic contoured tray that makes it easier to lie still and more comfortable. The actual scan takes approximately 30 to 60 minutes and the entire procedure lasts approximately 60-90 minutes. You may remain in the MR suite with your child if s/he desires.

Additional information: