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Bipolar Disorder clinical trials at University of California Health

7 in progress, 5 open to eligible people

Showing trials for
  • Novel Peer-Delivered Recovery-Focused Suicide Prevention Intervention for Veterans With Serious Mental Illness

    open to eligible people ages 18 years and up

    Suicide is a major public health concern, particularly among Veterans with serious mental illness (SMI, i.e., psychotic disorders or bipolar disorders). Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) is a well-established evidence-based practice for those with SMI that centers on identifying warning signs of mental illness, developing wellness tools for functional independence, planning for day-to-day effective living within one's community, and building an action plan to create a valued life worth living. This proposed study will refine and pilot SUicide Prevention by Peers Offering Recovery Tactics (SUPPORT), a novel integrated recovery program that is an adaptation of peer-delivered WRAP for Veterans with SMI. In SUPPORT, a Peer Specialist leads a Veteran at increased risk for suicide through recovery planning that is tailored to the Veteran's suicidal experiences with cognitive learning strategies to enhance safety plan recall and improve functioning.

    at UCSD

  • Can Neural Network Instability in Schizophrenia be Improved With a Very Low Carbohydrate Ketogenic Diet?

    open to eligible people ages 18-65

    Wide ranging cognitive deficits are major drivers of functional decline and poor outcomes in people with schizophrenia (SZ) and bipolar disorder (BD). Medications do not target pathophysiological mechanisms thought to underlie these deficits. In the search for interventions targeting underlying cognitive impairment in SZ and BD, we look comprehensively beyond just the brain and to the potential role of dysfunctional systemic metabolism. Disrupted insulin and glucose metabolism are seen in medication-naïve first-episode SZ, suggesting that SZ itself, and not just the medications used to treat it, is associated with risk of Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, and more generally, accelerated aging. Even young people with SZ have increased risk of metabolic disease and cognitive deficits. Sadly, their life span is shortened by 15-20 years. BD is associated with similar but less severe disruptions in glucose and insulin metabolism and life expectancy. Although the human brain is 2% of the body's volume, it consumes over 20% of its energy, and accordingly, the brain is particularly vulnerable to the dysregulation of glucose metabolism seen in SZ and BD. While glucose is considered to be the brain's default fuel, ketones provide 27% more free energy and are a major source of energy for the brain. Ketones prevent or improve various age-associated diseases, and a ketogenic diet (70% fat, 20% protein, 10% carbohydrates) has been posited as an anti-aging and dementia antidote. The premise of the work is based on recent evidence that ketogenic diets improve dynamic neural network instability, related to cognitive deficits, aging, and Type 2 diabetes (Mujica-Parodi et al., Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2020;117(11):6170-7.). The rigor of the work rests on findings of (1) poor cerebral glucose homeostasis in SZ and BD, (2) neural network instability in SZ and BD, and (3) direct effects of ketosis on network instability. Unknown is whether ketogenic diets can improve network instability in people with SZ and BD.

    at UCSF

  • Cannabis on Cognition and Endocannabinoid Levels in Bipolar Disorder Patients and Healthy Volunteers

    open to eligible people ages 18-50

    Cannabis use is associated with younger age at onset of bipolar disorder, poor outcome, and more frequent manic episodes, but the effects of cannabis on cognition are less clear. Contrary to reports among non-psychiatric patients, cannabis may improve cognition among people with bipolar disorder. Nevertheless, no study to date has systematically tested the acute effects of cannabis on cognition in bipolar disorder. Therefore, the investigators propose to determine the effects of oral cannabinoid administration on cognitive domains relevant to bipolar disorder, e.g., arousal, decision making, cognitive control, inhibition, and temporal perception (sense of timing). In addition, the investigators will evaluate different doses of the two major components of cannabis, cannabidiol and ∆9-tetrahydrocannabinol, and compare them to placebo on these neurocognitive measures. The investigators will also test the effects of acute exposure to cannabinoids on cerebrospinal levels of anandamide and homovanillic acid - markers of endocannabinoid and dopamine activity in the brain, respectively. These studies will provide information that effectively bridges the fields of addiction and general psychiatry, informing treatment development for co-morbid substance abuse and psychiatric disorders.

    at UCSD

  • Psilocybin Therapy for Depression in Bipolar II Disorder

    open to eligible people ages 18-70

    The purpose of this study is to determine the safety, tolerability, and feasibility of psilocybin therapy in people with Bipolar II Disorder.

    at UCSF

  • Children's Bipolar Network Treatment Trial I

    open to eligible people ages 9-19

    This is a naturalistic treatment and follow-up study of youth with bipolar spectrum disorders (BSDs) across four US sites of The Childhood Bipolar Network (CBN). CBN sites have expertise in diagnosing, assessing, and treating BSDs in youth. The primary aims of this study are to (1) identify and reliably diagnose youth (ages 9 to 19 yrs) with full bipolar disorder (BD) and BSDs, and (2) examine predictors (e.g., mood instability, inflammatory marker C-reactive protein) of clinical outcome over a 12 month period. Participating youth will initially complete a screening that includes a structured diagnostic interview and a baseline blood draw to measure inflammatory processes. Youth with BSD and parents (80 families) will be asked to participate in multiple follow up research visits with interviews, rating instruments, and questionnaires. Per established CBN guidelines, study psychiatrists will provide and track medication management and sites will also track psychosocial treatments. This study ultimately aims to further understanding of best practice pediatric BSD psychiatric and psychosocial treatments and development of a standardized and validated set of clinical tools for patient assessment, diagnosis, and tracking.

    at UCLA

  • Bipolar Efficacy Biomarkers for rTMS

    Sorry, in progress, not accepting new patients

    The research study is being conducted to test whether using high dose spaced theta-burst rTMS (a form of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation) produces a significant reduction in depressive symptoms compared with sham. This project will recruit patients aged 18-70 with symptoms of bipolar depression (BPD) who have failed (or not shown signs of improvement) after at least two prior treatments. The null hypothesis is that there will be no difference in reductions in depressive symptoms by the end of a five-day treatment period. The alternative hypothesis is that, compared with sham, active TMS will result in a greater reduction in depressive symptoms by the end of the treatment period. To facilitate the development of rTMS protocols there is a need for biomarkers that are sensitive to BPD symptom severity and clinical improvement. Previously in our lab, investigators developed biomarkers suitable for depression trials, and these biomarkers are very likely to show sensitivity to BPD, since they are associated with brain regions and functions associated with BPD. As a secondary aim, the investigators will try to identify biomarkers in cortical region associated with BPD, and formulate a statistical model that may be able to predict BPD remission after the treatment. this study will lead to development of new brain stimulation treatment protocols and biomarkers, will aid in treatment selection, and eventually lead to better clinical outcome for patients suffering from BPD.

    at UCSD

  • Obstructive Sleep Apnea Treatment in Serious Mental Illness

    Sorry, not yet accepting patients

    Serious mental illnesses (SMI) like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder are two of the most disabling and costly chronic illnesses worldwide. A high proportion of adults with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder have sleep disorders, like obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), but tend to be underdiagnosed and undertreated compared to the general population. This study aims to examine feasibility, acceptance, and impact of OSA treatment and how it affects cognitive function in people with SMI.

    at UCSD

Our lead scientists for Bipolar Disorder research studies include .

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