Volunteers Wanted for a Depression / Brain Imaging Research Study at Stony Brook Medicine

Finding it hard to enjoy life?
Tired of waiting months to see a clinician?
This message is for you.

The Study

  • 16.2 million American adults are affected by depression each year.
  • We are studying the relationship between sleep and mood.
  • Adults 18 or older who are currently depressed are eligible.
  • The study involves being kept awake for one night. 
  • This technique will likely result in a brief (<1 day) improvement in your depression.
  •  Following this study, you will be offered antidepressant medication at no cost.
  •  During the study, we use brain scans to learn more about your depression.
  •  Your participation is valuable because it will help us develop new techniques for treating depression in the future.

How to Participate

  • To determine if you are eligible, you will first be asked questions on the phone.
  •  You will then receive a psychological evaluation to ensure eligibility.
  •  If you are interested, please call or text our study coordinator at 716-4-BRIGHT (716-427-4448).

Your Participation

  • The study involves four overnight stays, three occurring consecutively and one occurring at a separate timepoint.
  • On the single overnight session, 3 brain imaging scans will be performed over the course of the night. This will be completed separately from the other overnights.
  • For the three-night consecutive stay at our sleep laboratory:
    • On the first overnight stay, we will measure your hormone levels while you sleep.
    • On the second overnight stay, you will be kept awake for 36 hours.
    • On the third overnight stay, we will measure your hormone levels again while you sleep.
  • You will be seen by a clinician throughout the study.

Benefits and Payment

  • You will be given up to $2,000 if you are eligible and complete the study.
  • You will receive a psychological evaluation.
  • You will be offered antidepressant medication at no cost following the study.

Brain Imaging at Stony Brook University

  • The Department of Psychiatry at Stony Brook University is one of the region's
  • premier providers of psychiatric services and a national leader in neuroimaging research.
  •  A team of brain imaging researchers at Stony Brook, led by Director of PET  Imaging Ramin Parsey MD, PhD, has brought many of the most advanced techniques for image acquisition and analysis to Long Island.

Contact: Our study coordinator at imaging.study@stonybrookmedicine.edu or call
or text (631)-638-HELP (4357)

Take a tour of the Sleep Lab with us!

Meet our Study Coordinator, Maggie Butscher, as she takes SBU Journalism student, Joy Sze, on a guided tour of our facility and discusses study procedures.