Research Center: University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School
Location: Texas 78712 United States
Lead Researchers: Dr. Greg Fonzo and Dr. Yu Zhang
IRB: This study has been reviewed and approved by the University of Texas at Austin Institutional Review Board

Have you ever wondered why some antidepressants work better for some people than others? University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School is conducting a study to uncover brain biomarkers that predict how individuals respond to the antidepressant Sertraline (Zoloft).

This study uses advanced imaging techniques like fMRI and EEG to understand how depression affects the brain’s activity and connections. By identifying these brain patterns, researchers aim to personalize depression treatment for better outcomes. If successful, this approach could greatly benefit psychiatric research and improve treatment effectiveness for many people.

Interested? See if you qualify for this research study.

• Participants will receive an FDA-approved SSRI treatment (sertraline, tradename Zoloft) for depression at no cost.
• Participants will be compensated up to $550 for participating in this study. Compensation will only be provided to eligible participants for each study visit they complete.
• Participants may experience improvements in their depression symptoms.
• Participants will be contributing valuable information that may benefit those with depression in the future.
• Participants will be helping to advance medical research.

• If you decide to participate in the study and later feel that you no longer wish to be part of it, you can withdraw at any time.
• Any information that you provide will be kept strictly confidential, except as required by law.
• Qualified health professionals will monitor your health as it relates to the study.

• Men and women aged 18 – 65 who are diagnosed with depression or suspect they have depression
• Must not have a current or prior history of psychosis or bipolar disorder as evidenced by self-report or clinical interview
• Must not have a current or prior history of unstable psychiatric or medical conditions that may require hospitalizations or contraindicated study medication (e.g., autism spectrum disorder, schizophrenia, cancer, congestive heart failure, etc.)
• Must not be pregnant, breastfeeding, or planning to become pregnant during the study
• Must be able and willing to undergo MRI and EEG procedures and must not have any contraindications to MRI scans (e.g., pacemakers, implants, etc.)
• Must be able to attend 10 study visits at the research site or virtually over approximately 8 weeks

The study team will explain the research in its entirety but some details are:

• Participants will be asked to attend an initial consent and baseline assessment session (in-office or via ZOOM) lasting about 3 hours, involving consent procedures and various evaluations.
• Participants will be asked to complete multiple subsequent visits, including self-report measures, fMRI and EEG sessions, and pre-treatment clinical assessments, each ranging from 45 minutes to 2 hours, involving questionnaires, imaging tasks, and discussions about mental and physical health.
• Participants will be asked to participate in clinical assessments and medication adjustment visits once every one to two weeks over an 8-week period, either in-person or via secure videoconference, to monitor symptoms, adjust medication, and ensure they receive the maximum therapeutic benefits from the medication.

The Fonzo Lab at University of Texas as Austin Dell Medical School
The Fonzo Lab is a team of researchers and clinicians affiliated with the Department of Psychiatry at The University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School. They are a research program dedicated to translational and clinical neuroscience. They take a multi-modal, interdisciplinary neuroscience approach to studying psychiatric conditions arising from trauma and stress. This includes post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety disorders, and major depression.