Depression: Conte Center for the Neuroscience of Depression Brain Autopsy Program

Contact name: Karee Powers,

Phone: (919)-684-4890

Fax: (919)-681-7668

Email: power014@mc.duke.edu

Disorder: Depression

Geographic location: Nationwide

Other keywords:

Participant compensation: N/A

Time commitment required: Varies

Drug trial: No

Recruitment end date (approximate): open

Study criteria (i.e., age or gender requirements):
¨ Have a documented history of depression but not currently be depressed
¨ Be at least 40 years of age

Exclusion criteria:
¨ Have been diagnosed with a central nervous system disease (Alzheimer’s Disease, stroke, Parkinson’s disease, etc.);
¨ Have had a serious past psychiatric illness (other than depression or bipolar disorder);
¨ Have a history of drug and/or alcohol dependence

Brief description of study:
The Conte Center for the Neuroscience of Depression has established a research program to study the effects of depression on the brain. The project #2 of CCND will evaluate in the postmortem brains of elderly depressed subjects with and without vascular deficits the cellular pathology of cortical prefrontal areas that have been found to be involved in depression. The specific aim is to estimate quantitatively the changes in the number, morphology and distribution of neurons, glial cells and blood vessels profiles in area 9 of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and in areas 47 and 12 of the orbitofrontal cortex in matched depressive subjects with vascular deficits, depressives without vascular disease, and elderly controls.

Additional information:
The Conte Center for the Neuroscience of Depression has established a research program to study the effects of depression on the brain. Brain autopsy is a very important part of that research. The study of brain tissue supplies researchers with crucial information about the biological processes of depression that cannot obtained by other means. As scientific knowledge advances, so does the ability of both practitioners and affected individuals to prevent, treat, and possibly cure this debilitating illness.
When thinking of organ donation, many people think of donating organs to sustain the health or the life of someone in need. Brain donation to research is similarly a valuable gift. The greater understanding of depression that is gained from this gift brings hope to improving the lives of future sufferers of depression.