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Brain Changes During Social Reward Psychotherapy for Mid- and Late-Life Suicidality

This study is looking at two types of psychotherapy for people aged 50 to 80 who are experiencing depression and suicidal thoughts. One therapy, called "Engage & Connect," focuses on increasing your involvement in rewarding social activities. The other therapy, "Symptom Review and Psychoeducation (SRP)," helps you understand and manage your depression symptoms. Researchers want to see if "Engage & Connect" therapy can improve certain brain functions related to positive feelings, which they believe could reduce suicidal thoughts. To join, you must be between 50 and 80 years old and have been diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder and suicidal ideation. The study aims to enroll 128 participants, but its current status is unclear.

Study design
This is an interventional study where 128 participants will be randomly assigned to one of two psychotherapy groups.
What's involved
You would attend 9 weekly psychotherapy sessions, complete 4 research assessments, and undergo 3 MRI scans.
Compensation
Not stated in the trial record.
Follow-up
Brain and behavioral changes are measured at baseline, mid-treatment (week 6), and post-treatment (week 9).

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

NCT05925322

Brain Changes During Social Reward Psychotherapy for Mid- and Late-Life Suicidality

Recruiting
NAAges 50–80InterventionalTreatment
Weill Medical College of Cornell University
~128 participants
Updated 2026-03-27 on ClinicalTrials.gov
What's tested:"Engage & Connect" PsychotherapySymptom Review and Psychoeducation (SRP)

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 in resting state functional connectivity of the Positive Valence System
Measured over Baseline, midtreatment (week 6) and post treatment (week 9)
+1 more outcome measured

Conditions

Depression
Suicidal Ideation
Major Depressive Disorder
Depressive Disorder

Explore related trials

Suicidal IdeationUnipolar Depression

Where it's being run

1 sites across 1 states
New York1

Study leadership

  • Nili Solomonov, PhD · PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR · Weill Medical College of Cornell University

Who to contact

Nili Solomonov, PhD
[email protected]
(914) 682-9100 · ext. 1012497
Email the study team

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Do you actually qualify for this trial?

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Eligibility criteria

Inclusion

Ages aged 50-80 \[stratified so that 50% are older than 65\]
Endorsement of Suicidal Ideation \[Structured Clinical Interview for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders-5 (SCID-5) Suicide Item (Item 9) with a score of 2
Major Depressive Disorder as determined by the SCID-5
Depression Rating Scale \[Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS)\] score of 16 or greater.
Mini Mental Status Exam (MMSE) equal or greater than a score of 23
Off antidepressants or on a stable dose of an antidepressant for 8 weeks and do not intend to change the dose in the next 10 weeks, without individual psychotherapy services during the study period.
Capacity to provide consent for research assessment and treatment.

Exclusion

Intent or plan to attempt suicide in the near future.
History or presence of psychiatric diagnoses other than major depressive disorder without psychotic features, generalized anxiety disorder, or specific phobia.
Use of psychotropic drugs or cholinesterase inhibitors other than use of 0.5 mg or less of lorazepam daily up to seven times per week.
Neurological disorders (dementias, amnestic and multidomain Mild Cognitive Impairment, Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, etc.).
Acute or severe medical illness in the past 3 months (metastatic cancer, multiple sclerosis, decompensated cardiac, liver or kidney failure, major surgery, stroke or myocardial infarction, cardiac, renal, or respiratory failure; severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, etc.) that may be the primary cause depressive symptoms, influence brain systems of interest, or impact ability to participate in the study.
Contraindications to MRI scanning including cardiac pacemaker, heart valve replacement, vascular stent, insulin pump, cochlear implant, any other metallic biomedical implant contraindicating to MRI, and claustrophobia.

What this trial measures

  • Change in resting state functional connectivity of the Positive Valence SystemBaseline, midtreatment (week 6) and post treatment (week 9)

    Change in resting state fMRI connectivity of functional networks representing structures previously associated with the Positive Valence System (Dorsal anterior cingulate cortex \[dACC\], the Subgenual Anterior Cingulate Cortex \[sgACC\], and the basal forebrain/nucleus accumbens \[NAcc\]). The investigators will also test between-network connectivity between the positive valence system and the default mode-, salience-, and fronto-parietal networks. Functional connectivity within- and between-network will be measured with a correlational score of 0 to 1, with 0 being the lowest and 1 being the highest.

  • Change in STAR task reaction time following social feedbackBaseline, midtreatment (week 6), and post treatment (week 9)

    "The Social Task for Assessment of Reward" is a computerized task that measures response to social rewards. Reaction time will be measures in milliseconds.