Clinical trials

The aim of this clinical trial is to investigate the effects of a three-week virtual reality-based cognitive remediation training (VR-CRT) programme in combination with daily intake of a histone deacetylase inhibitor (HDACi) sodium butyrate on cognition in symptomatically stable patients with mood disorders (depression or bipolar disorder). The investigators hypothesize that the VR-based cognitive remediation training (VR-CRT) combined with HDACi butyrate vs. a VR-based control treatment combined with placebo will improve global cognition (primary outcome measure) over three weeks. Secondly, the investigators hypothesize that VR-CRT with placebo will improve cognition relative to the VR control treatment with placebo, although to a lesser extent than VR-CRT with HDACi butyrate. Thirdly, the investigators hypothesize that the HDACi butyrate with VR control treatment will not produce cognitive improvements relative to placebo with VR control treatment. Finally, the investigators hypothesize that the combined treatment (VR-CRT + HDACi butyrate) will enhance neuroplasticity (exploratory outcome) vs. VR control with placebo, as indicated by increase in hippocampal volume and/or memory-related activity shown with structural and functional MRI.

An 8-week, two-armed, randomized-controlled trial that examines the antidepressant effect of treatment with transcranial pulsed electromagnetic fields (T-PEMF) in patients diagnosed with moderate to severe depression using using a new device, the MoodHeadBand (MHB). The participants will use an active or placebo MHB for 30 minutes daily for 8 weeks. Additionally, the following research questions will be answered: 1\. If there is a positive effect on the patients' emotional and non-emotional cognition after 8 weeks of active treatment compared to the sham group and if possible early changes in the emotional cognition can predict the treatment response after 8 weeks of treatment. 1\. If the T-PEMF treatment provides improvement in restorative sleep after 8 weeks of treatment

The aim of this randomised clinical trial is to evaluate the short and longterm effects of a transdiagnostic mentalization-based intervention (Lighthouse MBT Parenting Program) compared to care as usal (CAU) for parents with a mental disorder in adult mental health service.

The goal of this clinical study is to improve the outcome of outpatient PTSD treatment at two clinics treating majority ethnic Danes and refugees with PTSD respectively. The study will consist of two similar randomized controlled trials. The main questions the study aims to answer are: * Does an added motivation enhancement module as a precursor for PTSD treatment reduce dropout and increase treatment outcome? * Does an added Shared Decision-Making session which facilitate individualized treatment yield a superior outcome compared to PTSD treatment and PTSD treatment supplemented by motivation enhancement? Participants are recruited at two different clinics, Psychotherapeutic Unit (PU) and Competence Centre for Transcultural Psychiatry (CTP). At PU the participants are randomized to one of two arms, and at CTP to one of three arms. One arm is the control group where participants will receive treatment as usual (TAU), one arm is the first intervention group where the participants will receive an Introductory PTSD module consisting of four sessions focusing on enhancing motivation for PTSD treatment, before continuing in TAU. The last arm is the second intervention group, which will only take place at CTP. Here the patient will receive the Introductory PTSD module followed by a session of Shared Decision Making, where the participant together with the MD decides which of four standardized treatment courses they will receive. The treatment for all patients will last between 8-13 months.

Emotion Regulation Individual Therapy for Adolescents, also called ERITA, is a youth friendly online therapy aiming to provide skills and train emotion regulation. The aim of the TEENS Multi-site Trial is to investigate the effect of ERITA, including an app, as add-on to treatment as usual in young patients referred to Mental Health Services. We expect 356 families to participate from three designated Regions in Denmark.

VIA Family 2.0 - a Family Based Intervention for families with parental mental illness Background: Children born to parents with mental illness have consistently been shown to have increased risks for a range of negative life outcomes including increased frequencies of mental disorders, somatic disorders, poorer cognitive functioning, social, emotional and behavioral problems and lower quality of life. Further these children are often overlooked by both society and mental health services, although they represent a potential for prevention and early intervention. A collaboration between researchers and clinicians from two regions, the Capital Region and the North Region Denmark has been established as the Research Center for Family Based Interventions. The research center is an umbrella for a series of research activities, all focusing on children and adolescents in families with parental mental illness. Method: A large randomized, controlled trial (RCT) for families with parental mental illness will be conducted in order to evaluate the effect of a two-year multidisciplinary, holistic team intervention (the VIA Family 2.0 team intervention) against treatment as usual (TAU). Inclusion criteria will be biological children 0-17 of parents with any mental disorder treated in the secondary sector at any time of their life and receiving treatment in primary or secondary sector within the previous three years. A total of 870 children or approx. 600 families will be included from two sites. Primary outcomes will be changes in child well being, parental stress, family functioning and quality of the home environment, . Time plan: The RCT will start including families from March 1st, 2024 to Dec 2025 (or later if needed). All families will be assessed at baseline and at end of treatment, i.e. after 24 months and after 36 months. Baseline data will inform the intervention team about each family's needs, problems, and motivation. TAU will be similar in the two regions, which means three family meetings and option for children to participate in peer groups. Challenges: final funding is being applied for. Recruitment of families can be challenging but we have decades of experience in conducting research in the field. Since both the target group, their potential problems and the intervention is complex, primary outcome is difficult to determine.

This research project aims to characterize a naturalistic cohort of children and adolescents with eating disorders in terms of biological, psychological and psychopathological features. Further, the project will examine the effectiveness of treatment, the determinants of treatment outcome and the course of treatment response for children and adolescents with eating disorders (ED), treated in a generic specialist child and adolescent mental health service. The first choice of treatment is outpatient family-based treatment (FBT), which has documented effect for anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. However, a subgroup of young persons with eating disorders does not respond sufficiently to this treatment, and evidence concerning effective treatment for children and adolescents with atypical eating disorders is still lacking. Further, treatment effectiveness for children and adolescents in a Danish naturalistic setting has never been examined.

Abstract - -- Introduction: Psychosis spectrum disorders are characterized by both positive and negative symptoms, but whereas there is good effect of treatment on positive symptoms, there is still a scarcity of effective interventions aimed at reducing negative symptoms. Rumination has been proposed as an important and fundamental factor in the development and maintenance of symptoms across psychiatric diagnoses, and there is a need to develop effective interventions targeting rumination behaviors and negative symptoms in patients with psychotic disorders. The aim of the current study is to investigate the feasibility and acceptability of group rumination-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (RFCBT) in the treatment of young people with psychosis spectrum disorders as well as investigating potential indications of treatment efficacy. Methods and analysis: The study is a mixed-method clinical randomized controlled pilot trial with a target sample of 60 patients, who are randomized to either receive 13 weeks of group CFCBT or 13 weeks of treatment as usual (TAU). All patients are examined at the start of the project and at the 13-week follow-up. The researcher will compare changes in outcomes from baseline to posttreatment between group CFCBT and TAU. In addition, qualitative analyzes are carried out to explore feasibility and acceptability and to uncover the patients' experience of receiving the intervention.

The Smart Bipolar RCT is a pragmatic RCT aiming to investigate effects of smartphone-based add on treatment in large scale clinical practice (N= 200 patients).

The PROLED study is a prospective and longitudinal study of patients with Eating Disorders. Annual interviews and collection of biological samples are done, as well as during changes in disease course e.g. during hospitalization. Included are qualitative interviews, psychometric tests, questionnaires which are used to collect data on psychopathology. There is also collection of blood, urine and faeces.