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DepressionNCT00525226

Evaluating the Effects of Stress in Pregnancy

An observational study of Depression and Panic Disorder, run by Emory University at 1 site in United States.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

This study will evaluate pregnant women with a past or current diagnosis of depression or anxiety to gain a better understanding of how these disorders can affect an infant's development, both during and after pregnancy. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 to 45 years, women onlyHealthy volunteers can take part
How many people
1,431 participants
Where
1 siteUnited States
Study dates
Sep 2007to Jul 2012
Phase
Observational
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 to 45 years
  • Women only
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Adult

Study population: Women of child bearing potential between the ages of 18 to 45 years of age with or without a history of depression or anxiety disorders.

Who may be able to join

  • Meets DSM-IV criteria for major depressive disorder, panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, or post-traumatic stress disorder
  • Planning pregnancy or less than 16 weeks pregnant by last menstrual period
  • Written and verbal fluency in English
  • Known identity of biological father

Who cannot join

  • Suicidal or homicidal
  • Psychosis
  • Meets DSM-IV criteria for bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, or an eating disorder
  • Alcohol or substance abuse within 6 months prior to study start date
  • Current illness requiring treatment that can influence outcomes (e.g., epilepsy, asthma, autoimmune disorders)
  • Abnormal thyroid stimulating hormone
  • Anemic

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

United States1 site
  • Emory University Women's Mental Health Program

    Atlanta, Georgia, 30322

Other trials in United States

About this study

Official title: Perinatal Stress and Gene Influences: Pathways to Infant Vulnerability

This study will evaluate pregnant women with a past or current diagnosis of depression or anxiety to gain a better understanding of how these disorders can affect an infant's development, both during and after pregnancy.

Read the detailed description

Depression and anxiety are serious conditions affecting millions of people each year. In fact, it is estimated that approximately one in every four women will be treated for a mood disorder, such as depression or anxiety, at some point in her life. As effective treatment options continue to develop, many women diagnosed with depression or anxiety are able to resume normal lives and may choose to become pregnant. However, studies suggest that the intrauterine environment can be altered by maternal stress, depression, and anxiety, which may affect the fetus during pregnancy. Also, antidepressant medications have been known to cause complications for both the mother and fetus, which can make pregnancy a very difficult time for women with a history of depression and anxiety. These women are more prone to relapse during pregnancy, even if they previously recovered from the disorder. The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether symptoms of depression and anxiety, during or soon after pregnancy, affect an infant's social and emotional development.

Participation in this study will occur from early in the woman's pregnancy until her infant's first birthday. Participants will attend at least eight study visits during pregnancy and five study visits during the first year of the infant's life. Most study visits will take place at the Emory University clinic on campus. During the first study visit, participants will complete questionnaires regarding their current mood, stressors, supports, experiences during pregnancy, symptoms of depression or anxiety, and any treatment or medications they are currently receiving. Urine and blood will also be collected at the initial visit. Follow-up visits, lasting 1 hour, will occur monthly until delivery. During these visits, similar questionnaires will be administered and blood, urine, and saliva samples will be collected. Uterine blood flow, fetal activity, and fetal heart rate will be recorded at some follow-up visits. Women who undergo an amniocentesis will have the option of providing a sample of amniotic fluid and an additional blood sample.

Immediately after delivery, blood from the baby's umbilical cord and blood from the mother will be collected. A week after delivery, a home visit will be scheduled to assess each mother's mood, stress, supports, delivery complications, and first impressions of the new baby. At this time, a behavioral assessment will also be conducted on each infant, and mothers will be observed while interacting with their child. At the infant's 6-month pediatrician visit, a saliva sample will be taken to measure levels of cortisol and other indicators of stress. Infants will be assessed at three other times before their first birthday. During these assessments, the infant's ability to regulate his or her emotions will be evaluated by videotaped behavioral observations, stress hormones from saliva, heart rate, or recordings of brain activity through the use of either an electroencephalogram (EEG) or event related potentials (ERP). Lastly, participants will be given the option to provide a DNA sample for further analysis and future research. Fathers of the babies will be included in selected study visits. Results from this study will be used to help prevent emotional and social developmental problems in infants whose mothers have been diagnosed with either depression or anxiety.

Keywords
Psychiatry, Psychology, Pregnancy, Stress, Anxiety
Medical subject headings
Depression, Panic Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Anxiety Disorders

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

Study groups in NCT00525226
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
1Women who have experienced symptoms of depression or anxiety during pregnancy.

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Social and emotional development of infants who have mothers with depression and anxiety, during or soon after pregnancy

    Measured: Measured at Year 1 post-pregnancy

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted5 Sep 2007 (estimated)
  2. Study startSep 2007
  3. Primary completionJul 2012
  4. Study completionJul 2012

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Observational
Observational model
Cohort
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrolment
1,431 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT00525226
Sponsor's protocol ID
IRB00004249
Other IDs
P50MH077928, DDTR B3-PDB
Status last verified
Nov 2013
First submitted
4 Sep 2007
Last updated
20 Nov 2013
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
Yes

Publications

  • Ji S, Long Q, Newport DJ, Na H, Knight B, Zach EB, Morris NJ, Kutner M, Stowe ZN. Validity of depression rating scales during pregnancy and the postpartum period: impact of trimester and parity. J Psychiatr Res. 2011 Feb;45(2):213-9. doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2010.05.017. Epub 2010 Jun 9.

    PubMed 20542520
  • Miller AM, Hogue CJ, Knight BT, Stowe ZN, Newport DJ. Maternal expectations of postpartum social support: validation of the Postpartum Social Support Questionnaire during pregnancy. Arch Womens Ment Health. 2012 Aug;15(4):307-11. doi: 10.1007/s00737-012-0287-x. Epub 2012 May 16.

    PubMed 22588510
  • Newport DJ, Ji S, Long Q, Knight BT, Zach EB, Smith EN, Morris NJ, Stowe ZN. Maternal depression and anxiety differentially impact fetal exposures during pregnancy. J Clin Psychiatry. 2012 Feb;73(2):247-51. doi: 10.4088/JCP.10m06783. Epub 2011 Nov 29.

    PubMed 22152400
  • Schroeder JW, Conneely KN, Cubells JC, Kilaru V, Newport DJ, Knight BT, Stowe ZN, Brennan PA, Krushkal J, Tylavsky FA, Taylor RN, Adkins RM, Smith AK. Neonatal DNA methylation patterns associate with gestational age. Epigenetics. 2011 Dec;6(12):1498-504. doi: 10.4161/epi.6.12.18296.

    PubMed 22139580
  • Monk C, Newport DJ, Korotkin JH, Long Q, Knight B, Stowe ZN. Uterine blood flow in a psychiatric population: impact of maternal depression, anxiety, and psychotropic medication. Biol Psychiatry. 2012 Sep 15;72(6):483-90. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2012.05.006. Epub 2012 Jun 12.

    PubMed 22695184
  • Schroeder JW, Smith AK, Brennan PA, Conneely KN, Kilaru V, Knight BT, Newport DJ, Cubells JF, Stowe ZN. DNA methylation in neonates born to women receiving psychiatric care. Epigenetics. 2012 Apr;7(4):409-14. doi: 10.4161/epi.19551. Epub 2012 Apr 1.

    PubMed 22419064
  • Lusby CM, Goodman SH, Bell MA, Newport DJ. Electroencephalogram patterns in infants of depressed mothers. Dev Psychobiol. 2014 Apr;56(3):459-73. doi: 10.1002/dev.21112. Epub 2013 Jul 12.

    PubMed 23852456
  • McConathy J, Capello C, Jarkas N, Stowe ZN, Owens MJ. Preparation of antidepressants for use in preclinical research. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol. 2007 Dec;10(6):759-63. doi: 10.1017/S1461145706007474. Epub 2007 Jan 4.

    PubMed 17201995
  • Capello CF, Bourke CH, Ritchie JC, Stowe ZN, Newport DJ, Nemeroff A, Owens MJ. Serotonin transporter occupancy in rats exposed to serotonin reuptake inhibitors in utero or via breast milk. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 2011 Oct;339(1):275-85. doi: 10.1124/jpet.111.183855. Epub 2011 Jul 20.

    PubMed 21775476
  • Bourke CH, Capello CF, Rogers SM, Yu ML, Boss-Williams KA, Weiss JM, Stowe ZN, Owens MJ. Prenatal exposure to escitalopram and/or stress in rats: a prenatal stress model of maternal depression and its treatment. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2013 Jul;228(2):231-41. doi: 10.1007/s00213-013-3030-z. Epub 2013 Feb 24.

    PubMed 23436130
  • Smith AK, Newport DJ, Ashe MP, Brennan PA, Laprairie JL, Calamaras M, Nemeroff CB, Ritchie JC, Cubells JF, Stowe ZN. Predictors of neonatal hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activity at delivery. Clin Endocrinol (Oxf). 2011 Jul;75(1):90-5. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2265.2011.03998.x.

    PubMed 21521269

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

An observational study of Depression and Panic Disorder, run by Emory University at 1 site in United States.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 4 inclusion and 7 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 20 Nov 2013. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Social and emotional development of infants who have mothers with depression and anxiety, during or soon after pregnancy (time frame: Measured at Year 1 post-pregnancy). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT00525226, which also lists 11 linked publications.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 20 Nov 2013.

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