Early Assessment and Intervention for Adolescents at Risk for Bipolar Disorder

February 2, 2021 updated by: Tina R Goldstein, University of Pittsburgh
Bipolar disorder is a severe and chronic illness associated with significant occupational and social impairment, enormous public health costs, and high rates of suicide. The single most potent risk factor for the development of bipolar disorder is a first-degree family member with the illness; indeed, offspring of parents with bipolar disorder are a particularly high-risk group who typically display early onset and severe course of illness. Thus, early assessment and intervention for the children of parents with bipolar disorder focused on specific, measurable, and modifiable risk factors has the potential to prevent or ameliorate the progression of bipolar disorder in those at highest risk.

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

The most potent risk factor for the development of bipolar disorder (BP) is a first-degree family member with the illness. Thus, offspring of parents with BP are a particularly high-risk group and typically experience early illness onset, severe course, and high rates of comorbid psychiatric disorders. It is well-established that poor sleep regulation is associated with the onset of depressive and manic episodes among individuals with a biological vulnerability to mood disorder. Furthermore, evidence supports sleep disturbance in at-risk youth who have not yet developed threshold mood disorders. The proposed study aims to address this core disturbance that we argue puts at-risk youth at even greater risk for development of BP-sleep and social rhythm disruption. Since adolescence is a period characterized by significant alterations in sleep/wake patterns and social routines, this period may prove optimal for assessment and treatment of sleep and psychiatric symptoms in those at-risk. The investigators adapted and piloted Interpersonal and Social Rhythm Therapy (IPSRT), an empirically-supported treatment for adults with BP that helps patients stabilize sleep/wake cycles and daily routines, for at-risk adolescents. Preliminary data indicate this approach holds promise for youth at-risk for the development of BP. The investigators also identified intervention for the heterogeneous conditions antecedent to BP as a second path to preventing or delaying BP onset in at-risk youth. The purpose of the proposed study is thus to further develop and examine IPSRT for the adolescent (age 12-18) offspring of parents with BP. The study involves conduct of a small controlled trial (n=50) comparing Brief IPSRT + Data-Informed Referral versus Data-Informed Referral alone to gather preliminary data on feasibility, acceptability and proximal outcomes associated with the intervention. All participants receive a thorough assessment of psychopathology and sleep disturbance (via objective and subjective methods) at baseline, followed by a single feedback session reviewing the findings. As clinically indicated, youth will be offered Data-Informed Referral for any psychiatric symptoms/disorders identified during the intake assessment. Youth will then be randomized to receive either Brief IPSRT or no Brief IPSRT; randomization will be stratified on sleep disturbance and psychopathology. Outcomes will be assessed at 4 time points over 6 months in all participants. Data will be used to inform the design and conduct of a future controlled trial. The proposed approach is in direct accord with strategies outlined in the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Strategic Plan in which the development and testing of innovative interventions to reduce risk and positively alter trajectories of mental illness are informed by research findings regarding robust and malleable risk factors and core features of disease. Research in this area is of great public health importance, as it has the potential to prevent, delay, or ameliorate the progression of this chronic and devastating illness in those at highest risk.

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.
50

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
    • Pennsylvania
      • Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, 15213
        • Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic / University of Pittsburgh

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

12 years to 18 years (ADULT, CHILD)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. age between 12-18 years;
  2. primary residence with a parent or guardian;
  3. English language fluency and at minimum a 3rd grade literacy level. Subjects must be able to speak and understand English because one of the study interventions, Brief IPSRT, is an experimental talk-therapy. This therapy cannot practically be translated;
  4. a biological parent with a diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder I, II or Not Otherwise Specified (NOS) confirmed via semi-structured diagnostic interview;
  5. able and willing to give informed consent/assent to participate.

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. a current or lifetime bipolar spectrum disorder diagnosis (i.e., Bipolar Disorder I, II or NOS) by the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia-Present and Lifetime Version (K-SADS-PL);
  2. a primary sleep disorder diagnosis by the Structured Interview for DSM-IV Sleep Disorders;
  3. current unstabilized psychiatric symptoms as evidenced by a CGI-Severity of > 5 (markedly ill) and/or a C-GAS rating of < 50 (denotes serious symptoms);
  4. evidence of mental retardation, pervasive developmental disorder, or organic central nervous system disorder by the K-SADS-PL, parent report, medical history, or school records,
  5. a prior course of IPSRT treatment
  6. the absence of parental participation for 18 year old potential participants (i.e. 18 year old adolescent subjects need a biological parent with a diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder I, II or Not Otherwise Specified (NOS) to particpate in the study in order for the adolescent to be able to participate) -

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: PREVENTION
  • 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.
EXPERIMENTAL: Interpersonal and Social Rhythm Therapy+DIR
IPSRT plus referral for community treatment for any psychiatric conditions identified through the psychiatric assessment at intake.
Behavioral: Interpersonal and Social Rhythm Therapy
The Brief IPSRT intervention for at-risk youth includes : 1) Psychoeducation about risk for BP ; 2) Social rhythm therapy (SRT) aiming to establish and maintain stable routines to protect against onset of mood symptoms in vulnerable individuals ; and 3) Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT) centering on the adolescent's feelings about having a parent with BP, and linking stressful family events to mood. The intervention is delivered in 8 in-person sessions over 6 months of treatment. Parents are involved in the psychoeducation sessions, and further involvement is determined as clinically appropriate based on age and developmental status.
Other Names:
  • IPSRT
NO_INTERVENTION: Data-Informed Referral (DIR)
Referral for community treatment for any psychiatric conditions identified through the psychiatric assessment at intake.

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
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in mood symptom severity
Time Frame: Quarterly over 6 months
Mood symptom severity assessed via clinical evaluator blind to treatment condition using validated instruments.
Quarterly over 6 months
Change in sleep
Time Frame: 10 days at intake and 6 months
actigraphy
10 days at intake and 6 months

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.
University of Pittsburgh

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

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 (ACTUAL)

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.
April 1, 2011

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.
February 28, 2015

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.
February 28, 2015

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).
June 22, 2017

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.
June 26, 2017

First Posted (ACTUAL)

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.
June 29, 2017

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (ACTUAL)

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.
February 3, 2021

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.
February 2, 2021

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.
February 1, 2021

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.
  • MH091177-01A1

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

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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