Participate in Our Research

To advance our knowledge of neural networks and mood disorders, our center always offers opportunities to participate in research. Click below to display descriptions of our current studies or see if you qualify!:

Research Participation Opportunities for Individuals Seeking Treatment for Depression or Post-Traumatic Stress.

Medication & Depression Study 

This study investigates whether or not inflammation has an effect on depression treatment response.

Eligibility Criteria:               50 - 80 years old

                                                Current Symptoms of Depression

                                                Willing to take Anti-Depressant Medication

Study Participation Includes anti-depressant medication, randomly assigned anti-inflammatory medication or placebo, blood draws, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) collection, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan.

Study provides medication at no cost, no insurance required. Compensation for participation provided.

Enrolling Now

Therapy & Depression Study 

This study examines the effect of computer-augmented cognitive behavioral therapy (CCBT), an FDA-approved treatment for depression.

Eligibility Criteria:               18 - 60 years old

                                                Current Symptoms of Depression

                                                No History of Prior Treatment with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Study Participation Includes therapy sessions with a University of Pennsylvania therapist, wrist-worn activity monitor, daily mood surveys, at-home CCBT sessions, clinical interviews with study staff, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan.

All participants receive 8-weeks of CCBT treatment, but some are randomly assigned (50/50 chance) to immediate CCBT or CCBT waitlist for 4-8 weeks and then receive 8 weeks of CCBT treatment. 

Therefore, length of study participation varies based on assigned group:   

CCBT Immediate Group: 8 — 12 weeks

Waitlist Followed by CCBT Group: 12 – 16 weeks

Study provides treatment at no cost, no insurance required. Compensation for participation provided.

Enrolling Now

TMS Treatment Study for Post-Traumatic Stress and Depression

This study evaluates novel Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) methods for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depressive symptoms by comparing the effects of TMS to two different brain regions. TMS is an FDA-approved therapy for treatment-resistant depression.

Eligibility Criteria:               18 - 60 years old

                                                Current Symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress and Depression

                                                No Current Psychiatric Medication

Study Participation Includes 20 sessions of TMS over the course of 7 weeks, clinical interviews with study staff, and one magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan. 

The study provides TMS treatment at no cost to participants; no insurance is required. Compensation for the MRI visit is provided.

Enrolling Now

 

Research Opportunities for Individuals with Depression, Anxiety, or Post-Traumatic Stress, who wish to Participate, but aren't Seeking Treatment. 

Brain Imaging Study: Symptoms of Anxiety, Depression, Post-Traumatic Stress

This study contributes participant brain images and behavioral data to a public database sponsored by the National Institute of Health (NIH) and is associated with the Human Connectome Project: http://www.humanconnectome.org/

Eligibility Criteria:           18 - 60 years old

    Current Symptoms of: Depression, Anxiety, Post-Traumatic Stress, and/or Similar Symptoms

Study Participation Includes clinical interviews with study staff, wrist-worn activity monitor, daily mood surveys, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan.  This study is observational, meaning there is no treatment or experimental intervention involved.

Study provides compensation for participation.

Enrolling Now    

TMS & Trauma Study: Symptoms of Post-traumatic Stress

This study utilizes new neuroimaging methods to explore parts of the brain and specific behaviors associated with symptoms of anxiety and depression.

Eligibility Criteria:           18 - 60 years old

                                            Current Symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress

                 OR

       “Trauma-Exposed Control” - survived a life-threatening event but have NOT experienced significant          psychiatric symptoms

Study Participation Includes clinical interviews with study staff, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. This study does not provide treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder.

Study provides compensation for participation.

Enrolling Now    

TMS & Depression Studies: Symptoms of Depression

This study tests if tailoring TMS treatment to each individual’s unique neuroanatomy yields better results for patients than traditional TMS methods. Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) is an FDA-approved procedure for treatment-resistant depression.

Eligibility Criteria:           18 - 60 years old

                                            Current Symptoms of Depression

Study Participation Includes clinical interviews with study staff, TMS sessions, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. This study does not provide treatment for depression.

Study provides compensation for participation.

Enrolling Now    

Research Participation Opportunities for Individuals without Mental Health Diagnoses. 

Our current research projects also need participants without a history, or current symptoms, of psychiatric diagnoses such as — depression, anxiety, or post-traumatic stress. Think you may qualify? Please complete a quick survey — https://is.gd/cndslab — and one of our coordinators will contact you within a few business days.