The Stanley Foundation Bipolar Network. I. Rationale and methods

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience
• Bipolar Disorder Research
• Longitudinal Patient Monitoring

Background:

• Established the Stanley Foundation Bipolar Network (SFBN) to address the lack of treatment studies for bipolar illness.
• SFBN aims to improve the understanding and management of bipolar disorder through collaborative research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To outline the foundational principles and methodologies employed by the SFBN.
• To describe the network's structure and its approach to bipolar disorder research.

Main Methods:

• Implemented a consistent methodology across five core and affiliated sites for continuous patient monitoring.
• Conducts both open and controlled studies based on patient symptomatology.
• Established reliable raters and validated rating instruments for data collection.

Main Results:

• Successfully enrolled over 500 patients in continuous daily longitudinal follow-up.
• Completed randomized trials involving newer antidepressants (bupropion, sertraline, venlafaxine) as adjuncts to mood stabilizers.
• Initiated a trial of omega-3 fatty acids in 93 patients and published open clinical case series.

Conclusions:

• SFBN enables detailed, continuous longitudinal follow-up of well-characterized patients.
• The network supports both opportunistic case series and rigorous double-blind, randomized controlled trials.
• Utilizes reliable and validated measures for comprehensive bipolar disorder research.