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Understanding Brain Responses to Sertraline for Depression

This study aims to understand how your brain responds to the antidepressant medication sertraline (Zoloft) if you have major depressive disorder. Researchers want to find brain patterns (biomarkers) that can predict whether sertraline will be an effective treatment for you. They will measure brain activity using fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging) and EEG (electroencephalogram) while you receive sertraline. The study will enroll about 50 participants between 18 and 65 years old who speak English and have been diagnosed with depression. The main goal is to see how much your depression symptoms improve after 8 weeks of treatment, as measured by a standard depression scale. The current recruitment status is unclear.

Study design
This is an interventional study planning to enroll 50 participants. It is designed to identify brain biomarkers that predict response to sertraline treatment.
What's involved
Not specified in the trial record.
Compensation
Not stated in the trial record.
Follow-up
Your depression symptoms will be measured at 8 weeks to see how you respond to treatment.

AI-generated from the public study record. Only the study team can confirm whether you're eligible — confirm details with them before making decisions.

NCT05892744

Establishing Multimodal Brain Biomarkers for Treatment Selection in Depression

Recruiting
PHASE4Ages 18–65InterventionalTreatment
University of Texas at Austin
~50 participants
Updated 2026-05-01 on ClinicalTrials.gov
What's tested:Sertraline

At a glance

Recruiting sites
1 of 1 listed site is recruiting right now
RecruitingSuspended, closed, or not yet open
What they're measuring
Change from Baseline on the GRID Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (GRID-HAM-D) at 8 weeks
Measured over 8 weeks

Conditions

Major Depressive Disorder
Chronic Major Depression, Recurrent

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Unipolar Depression

Where it's being run

1 sites across 1 states
Texas1

Who to contact

Greg Fonzo, Ph.D.
[email protected]
512-495-5856
Email the study team

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Do you actually qualify for this trial?

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Eligibility criteria

Inclusion

English as primary language, and comprehension suitable to understand experimenter instructions
Meet criteria for a current major depressive episode diagnosed through the Structured Clinical Interview for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 5th edition (DSM-5) (SCID-5)
Meet criteria for early onset (prior to age 30) of depression and either: a) current major depressive episode lasts for \> 2 years; or b) participant meets criteria for recurrent major depression as evidenced by 2 or more major depressive episodes (including current episode) in their lifetime. These criteria will be assessed by the SCID-5.
Have a Quick Inventory of Depression Symptomology Self-Report Measures (QIDS) score \> 14 at baseline and the week prior to first Sertraline administration
Willing and able to undergo MRI and EEG procedures.

Exclusion

Non-early onset (i.e., after age 30), non-chronic (current episode lasting less than 2 years or only one lifetime major depressive episode, including current episode) qualifying Major Depressive Disorder
Must not have failed to respond to any prior antidepressant treatment in the current episode of sufficient duration and dose as defined by the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Antidepressant Treatment Response Questionnaire
Currently pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or breastfeeding
Evidence of current or prior history of psychosis or bipolar disorder as evidenced by self-report or clinical interview
Meeting DSM-5 criteria for a substance-use disorder of moderate or greater severity in the past 6 months
Unstable psychiatric or medical conditions that may require hospitalizations or contraindicate study medication (i.e. autism spectrum disorder, schizophrenia, cancer, congestive heart failure, etc.)
Contraindications to MRI including, but not limited to, history of stroke, brain tumors, brain hemorrhages, internal wires, electrodes, pacemakers, implants, irremovable ferromagnetic objects in head that are unsafe for MRI and/or cause large distortions in imaging data, etc.
History of epilepsy, moderate or severe traumatic brain injury, penetrating head injury, brain surgery, brain tumors, or any condition requiring an anticonvulsant
Treatment with electroconvulsive therapy, vagus nerve stimulation, or transcranial magnetic stimulation during the current depressive episode
Concomitant medication use that are likely to interfere or obscure effects from the study medication, including but not limited to antipsychotics and mood stabilizers
Current regular depression-specific evidence-based psychotherapy treatment
Considered by the investigative team to be a significant suicide risk as evidence by self-report or clinical interview

What this trial measures

  • Change from Baseline on the GRID Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (GRID-HAM-D) at 8 weeks8 weeks

    Standardized clinician-administered measure of depression symptom severity. Scores range from 0-52. Lower scores indicate less depressive symptomatology, and so are the more desirable.