Parkinson's DiseasePhase 2NCT06402955
Imaging Depression in Parkinson's Disease
A Phase 2 study testing 11C-UCB-J and ketamine hydrochloride in people with Parkinson's Disease and Major Depressive Disorder, run by Yale University at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
The goal of this observational study is to identify targetable neural substrates of depression in Parkinson's Disease for the first time in people with Parkinson's between the ages of 40 and 80, who are experiencing symptoms of depression. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 40 to 80 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Parkinson's Disease, Major Depressive Disorder
- What is being tested?
- 11C-UCB-J and ketamine hydrochloride
- Type of treatment
- Surgery or procedure
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 120 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 1 Sep 2024to 1 Dec 2029
- Phase
- Phase 2
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 40 to 80 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Age 40-80.
- For women of reproductive potential, a negative pregnancy test at screening and scanning
- For PD patients, clinical diagnosis of PD, able to consent and tolerate PET procedures
- For PD depression patients - at least moderate symptom severity as determined by at least 15 on the MADRS, which has shown maximum discrimination between depressed and non-depressed PD patients.
- For dPD patients undergoing ketamine, abstinence from drugs of abuse, other than alcohol, cannabis, nicotine and caffeine for the duration of the study. Patients with substance use disorders as defined by the DSM-5 will be excluded.
Who cannot join
- Dementia (Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) score <21)
- A significant primary DSM-5 psychiatric disorder except for MDD
- A history of or current significant medical (e.g. cardiovascular, renal), or neurological (e.g. cerebrovascular, seizure, traumatic brain injury) illness other than PD that is unstable and significantly increase their risk and/or might affect the study objectives, as determined by study physicians.
- Prior radiation exposure for research purposes within such that participation in this study would place them over FDA limits for annual radiation exposure
- Medications affecting SV2A availability (e.g. levetiracetam)
- For dPD patients receiving ketamine, uncontrolled hypertension, defined as average blood pressure greater than or equal to 140 mmHg or an average diastolic blood pressure greater than or equal to 90 mmHg among those patients who have hypertension.
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- Contraindications to MRI.
- For patients undergoing arterial sampling for the PET scan: Iodine allergy, bleeding disorder and/or use of blood thinning medication
- Inability to provide written informed consent according to the Yale Human Investigation Committee (HIC) guidelines in English.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
United States1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
Yale University
New Haven, Connecticut, 06520
Sophie Holmes, PhD, 203-685-4066, sophie.holmes@yale.edu
About this study
Official title: Identifying the Neural Basis of Depression in Parkinson's Disease
The goal of this observational study is to identify targetable neural substrates of depression in Parkinson's Disease for the first time in people with Parkinson's between the ages of 40 and 80, who are experiencing symptoms of depression.
Read the detailed description
This study will compare people with Parkinson's Disease and depression to individuals with Parkinson's Disease without Major Depressive Disorder, Major Depressive Disorder with no Parkinson's, and Healthy Controls. Up to 30 participants will be recruited and enrolled for each of these 4 groups. Participants will be asked to complete one PET and one MRI scan along with study assessments. Once screening and consent is completed, participants will be scheduled for PET and MRI scans. The total duration for participants in this study is 7 hours, including the screening visit and then one additional visit for the scans.
There will also be a small subset (opt-in) who will receive a single dose of ketamine to determine the ability of ketamine to target these mechanisms and initiate an associated antidepressant response. If the participant is opting into the ketamine arm, the investigators will ask them to come in for one single-dose of ketamine and complete another PET and MRI scan post-ketamine treatment.
The main questions it aims to answer are: 1) Will the Parkinson's depression group exhibit a distinct pattern of synaptic deficits compared to other groups? 2) Will there be differences in functional connectivity across groups? 3) Are there associations between synaptic density and functional connectivity across groups? 4) Will ketamine increase synaptic density in PD-affected and mood-related circuitry, and will that be associated with an antidepressant response?
- Conditions
- Parkinson's Disease, Major Depressive Disorder
- Being tested
- 11C-UCB-J, ketamine hydrochloride
- Keywords
- Imaging
- Medical subject headings
- Parkinson Disease, Depressive Disorder, Major
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
11C-UCB-JRadiation
Radiotracer for imaging
ketamine hydrochlorideDrug
There will be a small subset (opt-in) who will receive a single dose of ketamine to determine the ability of ketamine to target these mechanisms and initiate an associated antidepressant response. If the participant is opting into the ketamine arm, the investigators will ask them to come in for one single-dose of ketamine and complete another PET and MRI scan post-ketamine treatment.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Parkinson's Disease with Major Depressive Disorder | Other | This study aims to identify mechanisms unique to patients with both Parkinson's Disease and Major Depressive Disorder. Receives: Radiation: 11C-UCB-J; Drug: ketamine hydrochloride |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS)
This assessment stratifies severity of depressive episodes in adults. Ratings are based on clinical interview with the patient. Use clinical judgment to determine whether the rating lies on the defined scale steps (0, 2, 4, 6 points) or between them (1, 3, 5 points, denoted as "(Worsening symptoms)").The MADRS scoring instructions indicate that a total score ranging from 0 to 6 indicates that the patient is in the normal range (no depression), a score ranging from 7 to 19 indicates "mild depression," 20 to 34 indicates "moderate depression," a score of 35 and greater indicates "severe depression," and a total score of 60 or greater indicates "very severe depression."
Measured: One day
Secondary outcomes (1)
Binding potential (BPND)
Binding potential (BPND) reflects the ratio at equilibrium of specifically bound radioligand to that of non-displaceable radioligand in tissue. BPND maps will be generated using the simplified reference tissue method 2 (SRTM2) and the centrum semiovale (CS) as reference region.
Measured: One week
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted7 May 2024
- Study start1 Sep 2024
- Primary completion1 Jan 2029 (estimated)
- Study completion1 Dec 2029 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Parkinson's DiseaseStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Yale UniversityThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase 2
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 120 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Yale University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Sophie Holmes, Yale University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06402955
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 2000037090
- Other IDs
- R01NS125482-01A1
- Status last verified
- Mar 2026
- First submitted
- 2 May 2024
- Last updated
- 10 Mar 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- Yes
- FDA-regulated drug
- Yes
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Undecided
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 10 Mar 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Identifying the Neural Basis of Depression in Parkinson's Disease
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06402955
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 2000037090
- Conditions
- Parkinson's Disease, Major Depressive Disorder
- Keywords
- Imaging
- Phase
- Phase 2
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 120 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Yale UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
- Study start
- 1 Sep 2024 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 1 Jan 2029 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 1 Dec 2029 (estimated)
- First posted
- 7 May 2024 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The goal of this observational study is to identify targetable neural substrates of depression in Parkinson's Disease for the first time in people with Parkinson's between the ages of 40 and 80, who are experiencing symptoms of depression.
Detailed description
This study will compare people with Parkinson's Disease and depression to individuals with Parkinson's Disease without Major Depressive Disorder, Major Depressive Disorder with no Parkinson's, and Healthy Controls. Up to 30 participants will be recruited and enrolled for each of these 4 groups. Participants will be asked to complete one PET and one MRI scan along with study assessments. Once screening and consent is completed, participants will be scheduled for PET and MRI scans. The total duration for participants in this study is 7 hours, including the screening visit and then one additional visit for the scans.
There will also be a small subset (opt-in) who will receive a single dose of ketamine to determine the ability of ketamine to target these mechanisms and initiate an associated antidepressant response. If the participant is opting into the ketamine arm, the investigators will ask them to come in for one single-dose of ketamine and complete another PET and MRI scan post-ketamine treatment.
The main questions it aims to answer are: 1) Will the Parkinson's depression group exhibit a distinct pattern of synaptic deficits compared to other groups? 2) Will there be differences in functional connectivity across groups? 3) Are there associations between synaptic density and functional connectivity across groups? 4) Will ketamine increase synaptic density in PD-affected and mood-related circuitry, and will that be associated with an antidepressant response?
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 1
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Parkinson's Disease with Major Depressive Disorder | Other | Radiation: 11C-UCB-J, Drug: ketamine hydrochlorideThis study aims to identify mechanisms unique to patients with both Parkinson's Disease and Major Depressive Disorder. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 40 to 80 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (5 listed)
- Age 40-80.
- For women of reproductive potential, a negative pregnancy test at screening and scanning
- For PD patients, clinical diagnosis of PD, able to consent and tolerate PET procedures
- For PD depression patients - at least moderate symptom severity as determined by at least 15 on the MADRS, which has shown maximum discrimination between depressed and non-depressed PD patients.
- For dPD patients undergoing ketamine, abstinence from drugs of abuse, other than alcohol, cannabis, nicotine and caffeine for the duration of the study. Patients with substance use disorders as defined by the DSM-5 will be excluded.
Key exclusion criteria (9 listed)
- Dementia (Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) score <21)
- A significant primary DSM-5 psychiatric disorder except for MDD
- A history of or current significant medical (e.g. cardiovascular, renal), or neurological (e.g. cerebrovascular, seizure, traumatic brain injury) illness other than PD that is unstable and significantly increase their risk and/or might affect the study objectives, as determined by study physicians.
- Prior radiation exposure for research purposes within such that participation in this study would place them over FDA limits for annual radiation exposure
- Medications affecting SV2A availability (e.g. levetiracetam)
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| 11C-UCB-JRadiotracer for imaging | Radiation | Parkinson's Disease with Major Depressive Disorder |
| ketamine hydrochlorideThere will be a small subset (opt-in) who will receive a single dose of ketamine to determine the ability of ketamine to target these mechanisms and initiate an associated antidepressant response. If the participant is opting into the ketamine arm, the investigators will ask them to come in for one single-dose of ketamine and complete another PET and MRI scan post-ketamine treatment. | Drug | Parkinson's Disease with Major Depressive Disorder |
Primary outcome
Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS)
Time frame: One day
This assessment stratifies severity of depressive episodes in adults. Ratings are based on clinical interview with the patient. Use clinical judgment to determine whether the rating lies on the defined scale steps (0, 2, 4, 6 points) or between them (1, 3, 5 points, denoted as "(Worsening symptoms)").The MADRS scoring instructions indicate that a total score ranging from 0 to 6 indicates that the patient is in the normal range (no depression), a score ranging from 7 to 19 indicates "mild depression," 20 to 34 indicates "moderate depression," a score of 35 and greater indicates "severe depression," and a total score of 60 or greater indicates "very severe depression."
1 secondary outcome
Binding potential (BPND)
Time frame: One week
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 10 Mar 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Undecided
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A Phase 2 study testing 11C-UCB-J and ketamine hydrochloride in people with Parkinson's Disease and Major Depressive Disorder, run by Yale University at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 5 inclusion and 9 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 10 Mar 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
What does this phase mean?
Phase 2 studies give the treatment to a larger group to see whether it has the intended effect and to keep checking safety.
Not every study follows the same path, and some studies (observational studies, device studies) have no phase.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Sophie Holmes (2036854066, sophie.holmes@yale.edu), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) (time frame: One day). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 10 Mar 2026.