Effectiveness of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Treating Depression in People With Bipolar I Disorder

April 28, 2015 updated by: Thilo Deckersbach, Massachusetts General Hospital

Cognitive-Behavior Therapy for Bipolar Disorder

This study will compare the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy versus supportive psychotherapy in decreasing depression in people with bipolar disorder.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

Bipolar I disorder (BP-I) is a chronic debilitating disorder with recurrent depressive and/or manic mood episodes. Although episodes of mania are often considered the most distinguishing feature of bipolar disorder, recurrent episodes of depression make up the most functionally debilitating aspect for many individuals with BP-I. Symptoms of depressive episodes include depressed mood, lack of interest, decreased energy, low self-esteem, trouble sleeping, and change in appetite. Mood stabilizers are usually the first line of treatment for patients with bipolar disorder who are in a depressive episode, but previous research has shown that these treatments fail to bring most patients to sustained remission. As an adjunct to medication, a psychosocial treatment known as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) may be a promising treatment for improving depressive symptoms and for long-term stabilization in individuals with BP-I. This study will compare the effectiveness of CBT versus supportive psychotherapy in decreasing depression in people with BP-I. Using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), this study will also assess the impact of episodic memory impairment in people with BP-I on the success of CBT treatment.

Participation in this single-blind study will last about 9 months and will include 22 study visits. There will be four pretreatment visits, during which participants will undergo a variety of tests and procedures, including interviews and questionnaires about depression and anxiety; tests on memory, attention, reaction time, and reading; and an MRI scan. Following completion of the initial assessments, participants will be randomly assigned to receive CBT or supportive psychotherapy. Participants in both groups will attend eighteen 1-hour treatment sessions over 5 months. Participants attending CBT sessions will learn specific thought processing and behavioral exercises to help reduce depressive symptoms. Participants attending psychosocial therapy sessions will learn about signs and symptoms related to depression and will be provided support in coping with their depression.

All participants will be asked to complete Mood and Memory Questionnaires before and after the first seven treatment sessions. Psychological evaluations will occur after Visits 8 and 18 of treatment and will involve the completion of questionnaires. Participants in both groups will attend a follow-up visit to evaluate tic symptoms, anxiety, and mood 4 months after the final treatment session.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
54

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Massachusetts
      • Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 02114
        • Massachusetts General Hospital Bipolar Clinic and Research Program

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years to 64 years (ADULT)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Normal or corrected-to-normal vision (tested by vision charts)
  • Diagnosis of bipolar I disorder by the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI)
  • HAM-D score of 17 or higher

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Meets criteria for DSM-IV bipolar I disorder subtype rapid cycling
  • Meets criteria for DSM-IV mixed episode
  • Pregnant
  • Serious medical illness
  • Neurologic disorder and/or head trauma
  • Current or past history of selected DSM-IV Axis I disorders other than bipolar disorder, including organic mental disorder, schizophrenia, delusional disorder, and psychotic disorders not otherwise specified
  • Substance abuse or dependence within the 12 months prior to study entry and/or history of substance abuse for more than 12 months
  • IQ of less than 80 on the Wechsler Adult Reading Test
  • Previous treatment with CBT for depression
  • Contraindications to MRI (e.g., metallic implants, claustrophobia)

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: TREATMENT
  • Allocation: RANDOMIZED
  • Interventional Model: PARALLEL
  • Masking: SINGLE

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
ACTIVE_COMPARATOR: 1
Participants receiving supportive psychotherapy
Other: Supportive Psychotherapy
Participants will attend 18 supportive therapy sessions over 5 months. Supportive psychotherapy focuses on reflecting and expressing feelings about current life issues. Participants are supported and comforted when coping with difficult situations, depression, mood swings, or anger.
EXPERIMENTAL: 2
Participants receiving cognitive behavioral therapy
Other: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Participants will attend 18 CBT sessions over 5 months. CBT for depression targets depressive symptoms through a range of different treatments. This includes psychoeducation about the disorder and educating patients about the role of thoughts and behaviors in the maintenance of depressed mood. CBT also includes mood and activity monitoring, activity scheduling, and teaching participants to critically investigate and challenge negative thoughts and core beliefs that help to maintain depression.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Time Frame
Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D)
Time Frame: Measured at baseline and Weeks 9, 20, and 36
Measured at baseline and Weeks 9, 20, and 36

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Massachusetts General Hospital

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
September 1, 2006

Primary Completion (ACTUAL)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
September 1, 2011

Study Completion (ACTUAL)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
January 1, 2013

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
January 4, 2008

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
January 4, 2008

First Posted (ESTIMATE)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
January 16, 2008

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (ESTIMATE)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
April 29, 2015

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
April 28, 2015

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
April 1, 2015

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 2006P001521
  • DSIR 83-ATP (NCT00719979)
  • K23MH074895 (NIH)

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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