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Completed

NCT Number: NCT02456545

Improving Early Recognition and Intervention in At-risk Stages of Bipolar Disorders

Prospective multicentre observational study for treatment approaches in at-risk individuals. Furthermore the purpose of this study is to test feasibility of a clinical staging model and validate diagnostic tools to identify individuals at risk state for the development of BD.

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Key information

Conditions

Bipolar Disorder Bipolar and Related Disorders Mental Disorders Mood Disorders

Age range

15 year–35 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Observational

Primary location

Charite University Berlin, Berlin, Germany

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About this study

This project is one out of nine projects and four translational platforms forming the core of an interdisciplinary consortium to research on the most important areas of uncertainties and unmet needs in early recognition and diagnostic assessment, prevention of relapse, and therapeutic strategies of BD.

Within this project, currently used diagnostic tools for subthreshold bipolar symptoms (BPSS-P, EPIbipolar, BAR criteria) will be deployed within the first 24 months in defined risk groups. Predictive power of individual risk factors/risk constellations will be determined regarding the manifestation and prodromal development of BD within ≥24 months (follow-up every 6 months). Potential resilience factors are ascertained. Additionally, the diagnostic tools will be used in a representative cohort (IMAGEN, to ascertain the prevalence of clinical/neurobiological at-risk constellations in non-selected youth and young adults, data from previous follow-ups will be used, suffering/help-seeking behavior will be assessed). Regarding treatment, at-risk subjects identified will be staged according to a pilot staging model. Treatment guidance is provided linked to the model, however, the naturalistic setting allows for individual decision making. Reasons for decisions will be ascertained, efficacy will be assessed with respect to symptomatology, psychosocial functioning and conversion to full BD, tolerability/safety will be assessed according to research standard. Outcomes will be assessed within ≥ 24 months. Using the results, the clinical staging model & guidance will be refined. The long-term goal is to provide a model for research and clinical initiatives.

Synopsis of study goals:

  • Determination of the predictive power of individual risk factors and risk constellations in defined risk groups for BD,
  • Identification of resilience factors,
  • Integration of results for further development of diagnostic tools and harmonization of the diagnostic process across centers,
  • Investigation of the process of treatment decision making, efficacy (acute/preventive effects) and tolerability/safety in at-risk subjects in a naturalistic setting, testing the feasibility of a pilot clinical staging model with treatment guidance,
  • Refinement of the staging model and guidance.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Risk group I: help-seeking persons consulting collaborating Early Recognition Centers presenting hints for ≥ 1 potential risk factor for BD (e.g. (sub)threshold affective symptomatology, anxiety, sleep disturbances, family history of bipolar disorder, episodic substance misuse, depressive syndrome)
  • Risk group II: in- and outpatients with depressive syndrome (SCID) from the network sites
  • Risk group III: in- and outpatients with ADHD already cared for in the Dept. of Child and Adolescent as well as Adult psychiatry in Würzburg
  • Representative population cohort: IMAGEN study participants

Exclusion criteria

  • bipolar disorder
  • schizaffective disorder
  • schizophrenia
  • dominating anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder
  • dominating substance-related disorder

Treatment and study plan

≥ 1 potential risk factor for BD

Other

exposure to ≥ 1 potential risk factors for BD (e.g. (sub)threshold affective symptomatology, anxiety, sleep disturbances, family history, episodic substance misuse)

depressive syndrome

Other

in- and outpatients with depressive syndrome

ADHD

Other

in- and outpatients with ADHD

Primary outcomes

  1. Prodromal Symptoms for bipolar development via BPSS-FP & EPIbipolar

    Time frame: baseline

    • Bipolar Prodrome Symptom Scale - Full Prospective - BPSS-FP describes and rates prodromal mania/depression and other symptoms that have occurred in the past month and in the past year;
    • Early Phase Inventory for bipolar disorders - EPIbipolar describes and rates symptoms associated with BD in the early phase (past 12 months) as sleep and circadian rhythm, mood swings and neuroticism, anxiety, functioning and comorbidity in childhood and youth, substance use, development of symptomatic pattern

  2. Prodromal Symptoms for bipolar development via BPSS-FP & EPIbipolar

    Time frame: 1-year follow-up

    • Bipolar Prodrome Symptom Scale - Full Prospective - BPSS-FP describes and rates prodromal mania/depression and other symptoms that have occurred in the past month and in the past year;
    • Early Phase Inventory for bipolar disorders - EPIbipolar describes and rates symptoms associated with BD in the early phase (past 12 months) as sleep and circadian rhythm, mood swings and neuroticism, anxiety, functioning and comorbidity in childhood and youth, substance use, development of symptomatic pattern

  3. Prodromal Symptoms for bipolar development via BPSS-FP & EPIbipolar

    Time frame: 2-year follow-up

    • Bipolar Prodrome Symptom Scale - Full Prospective - BPSS-FP describes and rates prodromal mania/depression and other symptoms that have occurred in the past month and in the past year;
    • Early Phase Inventory for bipolar disorders - EPIbipolar describes and rates symptoms associated with BD in the early phase (past 12 months) as sleep and circadian rhythm, mood swings and neuroticism, anxiety, functioning and comorbidity in childhood and youth, substance use, development of symptomatic pattern

  4. Diagnostic Status: psychiatric disorders via SCID-I

    Time frame: baseline

    Diagnostic Status: psychiatric disorders via SCID-I

  5. Diagnostic Status: psychiatric disorders via SCID-I

    Time frame: 1-year follow-up

    Diagnostic Status: psychiatric disorders via SCID-I

  6. Diagnostic Status: psychiatric disorders via SCID-I

    Time frame: 2-year follow-up

    Diagnostic Status: psychiatric disorders via SCID-I

Secondary outcomes

  1. Psychotic Prodrome via PQ-16 (SOPS, SPi-A)

    Time frame: baseline

    Screening for psychotic prodrome using Prodromal Questionnaire - PQ-16

    Assessing psychotic prodrome after positive screening via Structured Interview for Prodromal Syndroms - SOPS and Schizophrenia Proneness Instrument, Adult Version - SPi-A (german version)

  2. Personality disorder via SCID-II (screening)

    Time frame: baseline

    self-report screening questionnaire for personality disorder via SCID-II

    Assessing personality disorder via SCID-II after positive screening

  3. Depressive Symptoms via Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS)

    Time frame: baseline

    Clinician-rated severity of depressive symptoms over the past 7 days, 10 items, scoring 0-6 each, yielding a total between 0 and 60.

  4. Depressive Symptoms via Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology (QIDS-SR16)

    Time frame: baseline

    Self-rated severity of depressive symptoms over the past 7 days, 16 items, scoring 0-3 each, yielding a total between 0 and 48.

  5. Manic Symptoms via Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS)

    Time frame: baseline

    Clinician-rated severity of manic symptoms over the past 48 hours, 11 items, 7 items scoring 0-4 each,4 items scoring 0-8 each, yielding a total between 0 and 60.

  6. Manic Symptoms via Altman Self-Rating Mania Scale (ASRM)

    Time frame: baseline

    Self-rated severity of manic symptoms over the past 7 days, 5 items, scoring 0-4 each (0=no difficulty, 3=severe difficulty), yielding a total between 0 and 50.

  7. Functional Impairment via Functioning Assessment Short Test (FAST)

    Time frame: baseline

    Clinician-rated functional impairment over the past 48 hours, 24 items, scoring 0-3 each (0=no difficulty, 3=severe difficulty), yielding a total between 0 and 72.

  8. Functional Impairment via Functioning Assessment Short Test (FAST)

    Time frame: 1-year follow-up

    Clinician-rated functional impairment over the past 48 hours, 24 items, scoring 0-3 each (0=no difficulty, 3=severe difficulty), yielding a total between 0 and 72.

  9. Functional Impairment via Functioning Assessment Short Test (FAST)

    Time frame: 2-year follow-up

    Clinician-rated functional impairment over the past 48 hours, 24 items, scoring 0-3 each (0=no difficulty, 3=severe difficulty), yielding a total between 0 and 72.

  10. Functioning via GAF-scale

    Time frame: baseline

    Clinician-rated global functioning at the present moment via Global Assessment of Functioning scale (GAF-scale), scoring between 1-100 (1=no difficulty, 100=Persistent danger of severely hurting self or others or persistent inability to maintain minimal personal hygiene or serious suicidal act with clear expectation of death)

  11. Functioning via GAF-scale

    Time frame: 1-year follow-up

    Clinician-rated global functioning at the present moment via Global Assessment of Functioning scale (GAF-scale), scoring between 1-100 (1=no difficulty, 100=Persistent danger of severely hurting self or others or persistent inability to maintain minimal personal hygiene or serious suicidal act with clear expectation of death)

  12. Functioning via GAF-scale

    Time frame: 2-year follow-up

    Clinician-rated global functioning at the present moment via Global Assessment of Functioning scale (GAF-scale), scoring between 1-100 (1=no difficulty, 100=Persistent danger of severely hurting self or others or persistent inability to maintain minimal personal hygiene or serious suicidal act with clear expectation of death)

  13. Impulsiveness via Barrat Impulsiveness Scale (BIS)

    Time frame: baseline

    Self-rated measure of impulsiveness, 30 items, scoring 1-4 each (1=rarely/never, 4=almost always/always), yielding a total between 30 and 120.

  14. Traumatic life events in childhood via Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ-SF)

    Time frame: baseline

    Retrospective self-report to identify adolescent and adult clients with histories of trauma, 28 items, scoring on a 5-point Likert-type scale according to the frequency with which experiences occurred ("never true" to "very often true").

  15. Affective temperament via Temperament Evaluation of Memphis, Pisa, Paris, and San Diego-Autoquestionnaire version (TEMPS-A)

    Time frame: baseline

    Self-rated assessment of five affective temperaments, 30 items, dichotomous scale 0="applies", 1= "does not apply".

  16. Creativity via Barron Welsh Art Scale (BWAS)

    Time frame: baseline

    Assessment of the aesthetic preference by scoring "like" or "dislike" for certain black-and-white figures (85 items).

  17. Creative Achievement via Creative Achievement Questionnaire (CAQ)

    Time frame: baseline

    Self-report measure of creative achievements across 10 domains, 96 items.

  18. Chronic Stress via Trierer Inventar zum chronischen Stress (TICS)

    Time frame: baseline

    Self-rated measure of chronic stress in the past 3 months, 57 items, scoring 0-4 each (1=never, 4=almost always), yielding a total between 0 and 228.

  19. Ressources and self-management via Fragebogen zur Erfassung von Ressourcen und Selbstmanagementfähigkeit (FERUS)

    Time frame: baseline

    Self-rated measure of health related ressources and self-management ability in the past two to three weeks, 66 items, scoring 1-5 each (1=strongly disagree, 4=strongly agree), yielding a total between 66 and 330.

  20. Quality of life via WHOQOL-BREF

    Time frame: baseline

    Self-rated measure to assess subjective quality of life in the past two weeks, 26 items, 5-point scale with varying verbal equivalents

  21. Quality of life via WHOQOL-BREF

    Time frame: 1-year follow-up

    Self-rated measure to assess subjective quality of life in the past two weeks, 26 items, 5-point scale with varying verbal equivalents

  22. Quality of life via WHOQOL-BREF

    Time frame: 2-year follow-up

    Self-rated measure to assess subjective quality of life in the past two weeks, 26 items, 5-point scale with varying verbal equivalents

  23. Sensitivity of Behavioral Inhibition System and Behavioral Activation System via BIS/BAS scales

    Time frame: baseline

    Self-rated measure to assess Sensitivity of the Behavioral Inhibition System and the Behavioral Activation System, 24 items, scoring 1-4 each (1=strongly disagree, 4=strongly agree) yielding a total between 24 and 96.

  24. Life events and -changes via Life Events Questionnaire (LEQ)

    Time frame: baseline

    Inventory to assess life events and -changes during the past year, 82 items, choosing applying life events from a list of 82 events, rating Type of effect (good vs bad) and effect of event on life (0=no effect, 3=great effect).

  25. Life events and -changes via Life Events Questionnaire (LEQ)

    Time frame: 1-year follow-up

    Inventory to assess life events and -changes during the past year, 82 items, choosing applying life events from a list of 82 events, rating Type of effect (good vs bad) and effect of event on life (0=no effect, 3=great effect).

  26. Life events and -changes via Life Events Questionnaire (LEQ)

    Time frame: 2-year follow-up

    Inventory to assess life events and -changes during the past year, 82 items, choosing applying life events from a list of 82 events, rating Type of effect (good vs bad) and effect of event on life (0=no effect, 3=great effect).

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Technische Universität Dresden

Other

Collaborators

  • Charite University, Berlin, Germany
  • German Federal Ministry of Education and Research
  • Goethe University
  • Philipps University Marburg
  • Ruhr University of Bochum
  • University Hospital Tuebingen
  • Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf
  • Vivantes Hospital am Urban, Berlin

Registry information

Acronym: BipoLife-A1

Important dates

Study start
2015
Primary completion
2020
Study completion
2020
First posted
May 28, 2015
Registry last updated
Aug 7, 2024

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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