fMRI: A Tool to Predict Treatment Response and Outcome in Primary Care
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging as a tool to predict treatment response and outcome in primary care depression: a pilot study
IRAS ID
106619
Contact name
Matthew R Broome
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Warwick
Research summary
Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is an established clinical and research tool that has been used for over 20 years in the NHS and universities of the UK. fMRI works without the use of ionizing radiation and detects neural activity via the effect of blood oxygenation levels in a magnetic field. Having gained approval from the ethics committee and local research and development department, the study team have already piloted fMRI research with healthy male participants at University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust (UHCW). With this in mind, we would now like to develop this pilot research in a psychiatric population. Through collaboration with the Primary Care Research Network we hope to identify research–active GP practices in Coventry and Warwickshire with a view to recruiting 20 patients with newly diagnosed depression. Participants will be scanned and have a clinical interview / questionnaires prior to their usual psychiatric treatment in the NHS and at a 6/12 post entry to treatment. All scanning and interviews would take place at UHCW. The aim of this research is to look at areas of the brain that are active during rest and during particular tasks, prior to and after usual mental health treatment (whether antidepressants and/or psychological therapy), to see if there is a difference in brain activity between those who respond to treatment and those who do not. In addition to recruiting those who are newly diagnosed with depression we will use the same GP practices to recruit 20 matched controls that have never had a psychiatric difficulty which has required treatment. The control participants will only take part in the scan and not the clinical interview / questionnaires. \n
REC name
West Midlands - South Birmingham Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
12/WM/0333
Date of REC Opinion
19 Aug 2013
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion