Functional Neuroimaging in Depression

Functional Neuroimaging in Depression: Longitudinal Study of PET Metabolism in Correlation With Changes in Attentional Bias, Autobiographical Memory, Future Fluency and Facial Recognition in Depressed Patients Treated With Escitalopram.

Oral administration of escitalopram during 8 weeks; PET scan with 18F-FDG at inclusion and after 8 weeks

Inclusion Criteria:

• Major Depression, Depressive episode, following DSM-IV criteria
• MADRS-score > 25
• Age: 18-65 yrs
• Medication-free or anti-depressant wash-out 7 days (for fluoxetine: 6 weeks)
• Lorazepam 1mg or zolpidem 10mg are allowed

Exclusion Criteria:

• Suicidality
• Bipolar disorder, following DSM-IV criteria
• Psychotic symptoms
• Substance abuse
• Personality disorder, following DSM-IV criteria
• Cognitive dysfunction due to trauma capitis or dementia
• Diabetes mellitus
• Women without contraceptive protection, with pregnancy or breast feeding
• Pharmacological treatment or ingestion of substance that can influence cerebral perfusion less than a month before inclusion
• IQ below 80
• Conditions not compatible with SPC