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Late-life depression is harder to treat and raises risks for memory loss and dementia. Team up to help us learn whether the medication, clemastine, can help improve mood, thinking, and response. Your participation may one day make antidepressant treatment work better!

Title: Clemastine for Improving White Matter and Boosting Antidepressant Response in Late-life Depression

Description: Geriatric depression, also known as late-life depression, is a type of major depression that affects people who are 60 years old or older. It can be difficult to treat and often comes back after treatment. It can also lead to problems with memory and thinking. Some studies have found that problems with the white matter in the brain can make it harder to treat depression in older adults. White matter helps with communication in the brain. A new study suggests that a medicine called clemastine might be able to improve the white matter in the brain. Clemastine is usually used as an antihistamine, but it might also help the brain repair itself. The goal of this study is to find out if clemastine can make the white matter in the brain better in older adults with depression. The study will also determine whether this improvement can make antidepressant treatment work better, reduce depressive symptoms, and improve memory and thinking. The study will involve two groups of participants. One group will receive the standard antidepressant treatment along with a placebo, while the other group will receive the standard antidepressant treatment along with clemastine. The researchers will compare the effects of these two treatments over a period of 12 weeks. They will measure the improvement in white matter using special brain imaging techniques. They will also assess the participants' mood, memory, and thinking abilities, and keep track of any side effects or problems caused by the treatments. Overall, this study has the potential to contribute valuable insights into the treatment of geriatric depression, alleviate depressive symptoms, enhance cognitive function, and potentially open up new avenues for future research and therapeutic approaches.

Main inclusion criteria:

  • Ages 60 and older
  • Has depression 
  • Not on antidepressants
     

Online survey: https://healthresearch.ccts.uic.edu/studies/2024-0636

For questions about this study, contact:
Paresa Chowdhury
Telephone:773-669-2833
Email:pchowd3atuic [dot] edu