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CompletedNCT01671436CMITUpdated Jan 13, 2021

Meditation for Depression

An interventional study of Central Meditation and Imagery Therapy in Depression, sponsored by University of California, San Francisco. Completed at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 65 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2021-01-13.

Sponsored by University of California, San Francisco · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment

Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
13
Allocation
Not applicable
Ages
18 Years to 65 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a serious, costly and highly prevalent condition. However, currently available treatment options have limited efficacy. The aim of this pilot study is to determine whether patients suffering from MDD who have not responded to at least one antidepressant trial may actively engage in a novel group therapy, Central Meditation and Imagery Therapy (CMIT). Preliminary results with individual patients suggest that CMIT techniques may have benefit for major depression. The purpose of this trial is to assess the feasibility of a group form of CMIT for the treatment of major depression. The trial will also seek to identify neurophysiological and cardiovascular predictors of treatment response.

In this study, 10 subjects with major depressive disorder will receive antidepressant treatment augmentation with group meditation and mental imagery therapy for a total of 12 weeks, as well as daily meditation practice. Group sessions will also involve gentle yogic stretches. The subjects will be limited to those who remain depressed despite at least one trial of antidepressant medication. Changes in brain activity and heart rate variability will be measured at three time points utilizing electroencephalography (EEG) and pulse monitors. Depression symptoms will be measured at several time points using questionnaires and objective measures. Participation will require a total of 15 visits for weekly therapy and the measurements. Two-month follow-up questionnaires will be mailed to the subjects after study end to assess durability of any improvements in depressive symptoms.

02

Conditions studied

  • Depression

Keywords

  • Depression
  • Guided Imagery
  • Psychotherapy
  • Meditation
03

In context

Depression

8,059 studies on the registry are indexed under Depression; 1,643 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 13 is below the median of 84 across 6,722 interventional studies indexed under Depression.

Browse Depression studies →

Lead sponsor

University of California, San Francisco is the lead sponsor of 2,133 studies on the registry; 376 are open to participants now.

Of its 262 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 196 (75%) have results posted.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years to 65 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

  • Meeting the DSM-IV criteria for unipolar major depressive disorder, as assessed by the Mini-Neuropsychiatric International Interview (MINI).
  • HAM-D17 rating scale ≥ 14.
  • Prior treatment with antidepressant medication during the present major depressive episode
  • Adequate written and oral fluency in English to understand and complete study forms and converse with study personnel.
  • Willingness on part of both subject and treating clinician to not change antidepressant treatment, including medications, psychotherapy or other treatments, over the course of the study, unless necessary to provide for well being of subject.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Current diagnosis of schizophrenia or any psychotic disorder including psychotic depression, dysthymia, mania or bipolar disorder, attention deficit or hyperactivity disorder, generalized anxiety disorder or panic disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, alcohol or drug dependence, mental retardation, any pervasive developmental disorder or cognitive disorder (according to DSM-IV) criteria. Those with lifetime history of psychiatric conditions other than unipolar major depression will be also excluded.
  • Medically unstable, delirious, or terminally ill (e.g. medical illness requiring hospitalization or intense outpatient management, such as heart disease; heart attack in the past 6 months; congestive heart failure; severe heart arrythmias; unstable hypertension; poorly controlled diabetes; or pending surgery).
  • Past history of skull fracture; cranial surgery entering the calvarium; space occupying intracranial lesion; stroke/ aneurysm; Parkinson's or Huntington's disease; or Multiple Sclerosis.
  • Participants regularly practicing (≥ 2 times per week) any of the techniques utilized in the study to reduce stress: meditation, guided imagery, yoga.
  • Current treatment with behavior therapy or psychotherapy.
  • Active suicidal plan as measured by HAM-D item 3 score of greater than or equal to 3, or history of suicide attempt during the current episode.
  • Utilization of cannabis or other illicit drugs more than once a month.
  • Excessive use of alcohol, i.e., men whose alcohol consumption exceeds 14 standard drinks per week or 4 drinks per day, and women whose alcohol consumption exceeds 7 standard drinks per week or 3 drinks per day.
  • Needing to adjust or change anti-depressant treatment, including medications, psychotherapy, repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS), Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT), or Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS).
05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Not applicable
Intervention model
Single group
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
13 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Central Meditation and Imagery Therapy

    Intervention involved Central Meditation, may be characterized by a voluntary, regulated attentional set towards a specific stimulus or set of stimuli and visualization exercises utilized within CMIT, which primarily involves two types of thought experiments: 1) creating mental models of how a person fits into the larger world and universe according to evolutionary biology and modern cosmology, in order to gain a larger perspective on emotions and thought patterns, and 2) backcasting, the generation of a desirable future coupled with mental time travel back to the present to determine how to create that future with present-day actions.

    Behavioral: Central Meditation and Imagery Therapy

Interventions

  • BehavioralCentral Meditation and Imagery Therapy
06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D)

    Primary outcome is change in HAM-D from baseline to Week 12.

    Time frame: Measured 4 times over 12 weeks

Secondary outcomes

  1. Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptoms- Self Report (QIDS- SR)

    Time frame: Weekly assessments measured over 12 weeks, and 2 month follow-up

07

Study locations

1 site
  • UCLA Semel Institute
    Los Angeles, California 90024, United States
08

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Jan 13, 2021, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
09

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT01671436
Lead sponsor
University of California, San Francisco
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Aug 23, 2012
Start date
Sep 2012
Primary completion
Nov 2013
Completion
Mar 2014
Last update
Jan 13, 2021

Study contacts

Felipe Jain, M.D.
principal investigator · University of California, Los Angeles

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
Yes
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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This study is completed, as verified in Jan 2021. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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