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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.