Open Clinical Trials

The DFP study aims to create a database of different measures taken by people at risk of Alzheimer’s disease. The measures include regular brain scans, cognitive and memory tests, scans of magnetic fields generated by the brain, retinal imaging, blood tests, and the use of wearable technology to measure movement, gait, and ongoing cognitive abilities. In the future, the data obtained through DFP will help to understand if early interventions are working.

The ISAP Study led in collaboration between the Diabetes Trial Unit and the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Oxford and Novo Nordisk will examine whether semaglutide, a tablet used to treat diabetes, can change the course of the earliest changes that happen in the brains of people at risk of developing Alzheimer’s dementia. The trial will aim to recruit 88 volunteers currently living without dementia from five clinical sites in the UK: Oxford, Imperial College London, University College London, Exeter, and Bristol. Participants will have a PET head scan to check levels of amyloid protein in their brains. This new study is at the forefront of research that tests the concept that the long ‘preclinical’ stafe of dementia, that is, the 10-20 years period during which the condition develops, but people do not have symptoms, it is a window of opportunity to interfere with the disease process and delay or even prevent dementia.

Trial participants who have high amyloid protein levels in their brains will have further PET head scans to determine levels of protein. These scans will also check for tau protein, which is thought to damage nerves and to estimate levels of inflammation in the brain.

The ABATE trial is studying the effects of a study vaccine named ACI-24.060 in people with early Alzheimer’s disease. A build-up of protein Abeta (Aβ) in the brain is believed to play an important role in cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s disease. ACI-24.060 is designed to help reduce the quantity of Aβ in the brain and may thereby have a positive effect on cognitive decline.

Part II of the ABATE Study explores the effect of a new vaccine called ACI-24.060 on people with Down’s syndrome. People with Down’s syndrome have an increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s Disease. Alzheimer’s disease is caused by an increased level of ABeta (Aβ) protein leading to slowing down the cognitive abilities. The vaccine is designed to stimulate the immune system to produce antibodies against a build-up of the protein Abeta (Aβ) in the brain.

The Oxford Brain Heath Clinic (BHC) is a new integrated research and clinical environment. It is dedicated to preparing clinical services for the 21st century to preserve brain health. The clinic was launched in August 2020, as a pilot, to improve the assessment and diagnosis of memory problems. At the clinic, patients are given high-quality assessments not usually available in routine NHS care and are also offered the opportunity to take part in related research. https://oxfordhealthbrc.nihr.ac.uk/oxford-brain-health-clinic/

This study aims to facilitate our understanding of the role of glutamatergic dysfunction in psychosis and depression by measuring the NMDA receptor antagonism and understanding ketamine’s psychomimetic and anti-depressant effects as it is helpful in testing novel treatments for Schizophrenia and development of safer anti-depressants.

Does modulation of glutamate transmission in the brain using a sub-anesthetic dose of ketamine affect autobiographical memory, emotional processing, and decision-making in treatment-resistant depression?

Clinical depression often involves a pessimistic view of things which have happened in the past and an impairment in the ability to experience pleasure of looking forward to things. Glutamate plays a role in learning and memory, this study is interested in understanding how ketamine can affect how people with depression remember past negative and positive memories. A licensed drug called ketamine affects the levels of glutamate, a chemical messenger in the brain, and has been used as treatment for depression which hasn’t got better with other types of medication.

Randomised, placebo-controlled trial evaluating the efficacy and mechanism of Pramipexole as an add-on treatment for people with treatment-resistant depression.

PAX-D will compare the effects of pramipexole with placebo when added to current antidepressant medication. There is some evidence that pramipexole, a medicine already commonly used in Parkinson’s disease, may be an effective treatment for people with treatment resistant depression. The trial will look at effectiveness in the short-term (after 12 weeks treatment) and in the longer-term (48 weeks). The trial will also assess the side effects of pramipexole and explore patients’ experience of taking it.

Many people who receive antidepressant treatment for their depression do not get an adequate response to these treatments. This sometimes refer to as treatment-resistant depression or TRD. This study will explore whether an investigational medicine, COMP360 together with psychological support is an effective treatment for people who have not been helped by prior treatment for their depression. For more details COMP006 Study

There are currently limited treatment options available for people experiencing depressive symptoms. Very little is known about using antidepressants in patients living with bipolar. Antidepressants can be very effective in people with depression and can also be prescribed by a GP. In this study, we will use a combination of an antidepressant (sertraline) and an antipsychotic drug (aripriprazole) and compare this with a drug called quetiapine. Quetiapine is a common treatment for people experiencing depression in bipolar. All three drugs are already used in the NHS, but we want to find out if using a sertraline/aripiprazole combination will be beneficial in reducing depressive symptoms in people with bipolar.

A randomised phase II double-blinded placebo-controlled trial of intravenous immunoglobulins and rituximab in patients with antibody-associated psychosis.

This is a multicentre, multinational, long-term follow-up cohort study of patients suffering from schizophrenia, who participated in the EULAST I study. The study consists of one follow-up visit, conducted at least three years after the end of the participation in the EULAST-I clinical trial.

The main aim of the study is to assess which baseline characteristics predict healthcare utilization (defined as the number of days hospitalized) over a period of 3-10 years (since the EULAST-I clinical trial baseline visit).

Research on antipsychotics in young people and children shows that antipsychotics do help children and young people with psychosis. However, there is very limited research focussed on clozapine in young people, so it is not clear whether or not clozapine should be recommended for people under 25. For these reasons, the National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) has commissioned this research to study clozapine as a treatment for psychosis in people under 25. The results will help the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) decide which treatment they should recommend, so it should help other people to receive the best treatment in the future.