Disturbances in the amino acid neurotransmitter (AANt), gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA) function are hypothesized to contribute to the neurobiology of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and insomnia. The principal objective of this project is to use magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) to provide the first in vivo characterization of cortical GABA levels in individuals with primary insomnia, and to determine whether subjects with MDD, achieving a partial response with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor treatment but still experiencing significant residual symptoms including insomnia, have altered levels of this neurotransmitter. The investigators are also exploring the correlation between cortical AANt levels and abnormalities in sleep parameters in primary insomnia and as a residual symptom of major depression.
Three groups of subjects (MDD with partial remission and residual insomnia, primary insomnia, and healthy) will participate in the study. All subjects will complete a telephone screening, and if appropriate a complete face-to-face evaluation, to determine their eligibility for the study. All subjects meeting eligibility criteria for the study will complete a baseline MRS session to evaluate differences in GABA concentrations between the three groups.
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Enrollment
23
Yale Depression Research Program
New Haven, Connecticut, United States
Cortical GABA levels as measured by proton MRS
Time frame: baseline
Ambulatory polysomnography
Time frame: baseline
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