At a glance
- What the study gets you
- Access to the study treatment being tested
- Type of study
- Interventional (receives a drug or procedure)
- Time in hospital
- In-person visits at study sites — visit count not specified by the sponsor
- Drug or intervention
- Taste test (diagnostic test)
- How long the study runs
- Study runs about 56 months (dates as stated)
- About the drug or intervention
- Taste test — diagnostic test: A pseudo-randomised series of taste solutions are presented to the participant for identification as sugar or water, in order to establish their taste threshold.
- Patient visit burden
- Not specified by the sponsor
- Type of study
- Testing a treatment
- Ages
- 18 Years and over
- Who
- All
- Number of participants
- 240
- Started
- 2022-06-06
- Last checked
- 2026-06
Plain English Summary
What is this study?
- • Testing a new treatment for depression
- • NA - 240 participants
- • The study looks at whether a taste test device can be used as a diagnostic aid for depression
Who can take part?
- • Ages 18 Years and over
- • Diagnosed with depression
Where?
- • Bristol - Jhoots Pharmacy
- • Honiton - Honiton Surgery
- • Hull - Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust
- • Bristol - West Walk Surgery, Yate
This is a simplified summary. Always discuss with your doctor before making any decisions.
About This Trial
The study looks at whether a taste test device can be used as a diagnostic aid for depression. Taste tests will be carried out before and after first use of an antidepressant (prescribed by the patient's GP) and then again six to eight weeks later a further taste test will be conducted. The results of these tests will be assessed to see if they correlate with the outcome of validated mood questionnaires carried out at the first and second visits.
More detail
Research shows a clear link between taste sensitivity and depression, based on chemistry shared by the tongue and the brain. (Heath, T.P., Melichar, J.M., Nutt, D.J., Donaldson L.F. (2006) Human taste thresholds are modulated by serotonin and noradrenaline). The aim of this study is to investigate the use of a taste test in the diagnosis of depression and to predict drug effectiveness. A test is carried out before and after ingesting a probe drug (first prescribed antidepressant) to assess change in taste. Standard validated questionnaires are used to assess mood on the day the first antidepressant is ingested and then again six to eight weeks later. The study is a single centre, open label study using the patient's prescribed antidepressant as a probe with the primary objective of building on previous results obtained in a pilot study which used paroxetine as the probe drug (whether or not this was the drug chosen for treatment). The study is powered to test 240 patients, with a provision built in to the protocol for an interim analysis after 120 patients. Participants will be followed up after six to eight weeks of usual clinical care, by means of follow up questionnaires.
How this trial compares with your answers
Answer 2 more questions to improve match
What we know so far
Still need:
- • Tell us your age for better matching
- • Tell us your sex for better matching
Preliminary match based on your answers. Full eligibility requires on-site assessment including medical history, physical exam, and lab tests. This does not guarantee enrolment.
Eligibility at a Glance
Key info
- Age: 18 Years and over
- Who can join: All genders
Treatment history
Treatments you must have had:
- ✓ stopped taking antidepressant medication at least six weeks
What the study is looking for
- ✓Patients requiring pharmaceutical intervention as a treatment for MDD;
- ✓Not suffering from any significant other mental or physical illness, such as confirmed psychosis, or end of life care.
- ✓Receiving stable medical therapy for 30 days or longer before screening assessments;
- ✓Be willing and able to comply with all visits and study related procedures;
- ✓Not infected with coronavirus or needing to self-isolate
Who cannot take part
- ✗Already on antidepressant medication;
- ✗Known or suspected hypersensitivity or intolerance to any probes, or any of their excipients;
- ✗Patients with a diagnosis of chronic pain.
- ✗Participation in another trial concurrently or within 30 days preceding enrolment that is deemed to interfere with...
- ✗Patients who are pregnant, or who are likely to become pregnant, will be excluded from the trial, as will...
See the full criteria
Where Is This Study? (4 UK sites)
Jhoots Pharmacy
Bristol BS9 3AG, United Kingdom
Honiton Surgery
Honiton EX14 2LY, United Kingdom
Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust
Hull, United Kingdom
West Walk Surgery, Yate
Bristol BS37 4AX, United Kingdom
