There are about 2.3 million Americans who live with bipolar disorder who are impacted by dramatic shifts in mood, energy, and activity levels. And the treatment options could be limiting to some patients. A national research grant and a networking system to connect patients to care might make it easier for people with bipolar disorder to find new treatments and clinical trials.
The researchers at The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research received a $6.1 million grant from Breakthrough Discoveries for Thriving with Bipolar Disorders Foundation (BD2) to serve as a hub of six other sites across the country. And each site will evaluate patients and collectively offer the best treatment and clinical trial options using cutting-edge biotechnology, big data analytics, and an unprecedented data ecosystem to address bipolar disorder in an innovative, equitable, and rigorous way.
This hub is the Clinical Coordinating Center at Zucker Hillside Hospital and will be led by Dr. Anil Malhotra and Patricia Marcy, BSN, executive director of the Vanguard Research Group. And the collaborating sites are at Brigham and Women’s Hospital-McLean Hospital, University of California Los Angeles, Johns Hopkins University, Mayo Clinic, University of Michigan, and UTHealth Houston.
Patients visiting a participating site will undergo a series of tests, including MRIs. Afterward, researchers will oversee and perform critical diagnostic and clinical assessments to improve standardized diagnosis and clinical care. And the Clinical Coordinating Center will also coordinate Institutional Review Board activities across the locations, help develop and implement a study monitoring plan to ensure protocol and regulatory compliance, and coordinate clinical care activities.
KEY QUOTES:
“Oftentimes people with bipolar disorder are unable to find the right fit with certain medications and therapies. It is important to give those patients access to the newest treatments and trial options. This funding and opportunity will allow us to be part of a larger national research hub, connecting even more members of our communities to the care they need.”
— Dr. Malhotra, co-director and professor of the Feinstein Institutes’ Institute of Behavioral Science and vice chair for research with the Department of Psychiatry at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell; Dr. Malhotra is a leader in mental health research and earlier this year, he and his lab were granted $3.4 million from Wellcome to implement a new clinical trial that studies whether repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) improves social cognitive performance for people living with schizophrenia over five years.
“Although bipolar disorder impacts millions of Americans every year, it is under-researched. We’re addressing this at the Feinstein Institutes with our robust program in our Institute of Behavioral Science, and with this significant support and Dr. Malhotra’s leadership, we’ll produce knowledge about bipolar disorder that will benefit those living with it.”
— Kevin J. Tracey, MD, president and CEO of the Feinstein Institutes and Karches Family Distinguished Chair in Medical Research
