Decoding Emotional Dynamics in Bipolar Disorder

Part of paid clinical trials in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Sponsor
Laureate Institute for Brain Research, Inc.
Study ID
NCT07221864
Status
Recruiting
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Conditions

  • Bipolar Disorder I or II
  • Healthy (Controls)

Eligibility Criteria

Sex
ALL
Age
18 Years - 65 Years
Healthy Volunteers
Accepted

Interventions

  • Think and Regulate Affective State Task — BEHAVIORAL
    Participants complete the Think and Regulate Affective States Task (TReAT) during fMRI scanning. This task presents brief cues of participants' own autobiographical memories, four positive and four negative, to evoke corresponding emotional states. While viewing these cues, participants alternate between thinking about the memory, rating emotional valence and arousal, and practicing positive emotion amplification strategies. Each session includes multiple blocks of "Think," "Rate," "Regulate," "Attention," and "Rest" periods. Physiological measures (heart rate and respiration) are recorded concurrently. The task is designed to decode emotional states from fMRI data and evaluate the neural impact of positive emotion regulation in bipolar disorder compared to healthy controls.

Study Details

The goal of this neuroimaging study is to investigate how emotional states fluctuate in people with bipolar disorder (BD) compared to healthy controls, and to understand the neural mechanisms driving mood instability. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Can emotional states be decoded from fMRI brain activity using machine learning? * Do individuals with BD show more unstable emotional state trajectories (e.g., high metastability, low fractal scaling) than healthy controls? * Does amplifying positive emotions stabilize brain and emotional dynamics in BD? Researchers will compare individuals with bipolar disorder (BD-I or BD-II, currently depressed or mixed state) to healthy controls without psychiatric history to see whether the BD group shows greater fluctuations in emotional brain activity and whether positive emotion regulation strategies normalize this instability. Participants will: * Complete self-report questionnaires on mood, emotion regulation, anxiety, and daily functioning. * Recall and provide short descriptions of personal positive and negative memories to be used in the MRI task. * Undergo fMRI scanning, including: * Resting-state scans * A Think and Regulate Affective States Task (TReAT) where they recall autobiographical memories, rate emotions, and practice amplifying positive mood. * Structural and diffusion MRI for brain mapping. * Receive physiological monitoring (heart rate, respiration) during scanning. * Complete post-scan surveys on emotional state and task experience. This research will help clarify how the brain supports or disrupts emotional regulation in bipolar disorder and may inform the development of personalized, neurobiologically informed treatments for mood instability.

Key Dates

Start date
Oct 30, 2025
Status verified
Apr 2026
Primary completion
Nov 30, 2028
Completion
Nov 30, 2028

Study Design

Enrollment
72 participants (estimated)
Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE

Arms

  • Experimental: Decoding Emotional Dynamics
    All participants complete the same two-session protocol: a preparation visit with diagnostic interviews and questionnaires, followed by an MRI session including resting-state and task-based scans. During the Think and Regulate Affective States Task (TReAT), participants recall personal positive and negative memories, rate their emotions, and practice positive emotion amplification strategies. Physiological signals are recorded throughout. Both individuals with bipolar disorder and healthy controls complete identical procedures for comparison of brain and emotional dynamics.

Primary Outcome Measure

Decoded Emotional State Trajectory [ Time Frame: Day 2 ]

Central Contacts

Locations (1)

FacilityCityStateZIPSite coordinators
Laureate Institute for Brain ResearchTulsaOklahoma74135
Masaya Misaki, Ph.D.
[email protected]
918-502-5137
Salvador Guinjoan, MD, Ph.D.
[email protected]
(918) 502-5119
Masaya Misaki, Ph.D. (PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR)
Salvador Guinjoan, MD, Ph.D. (SUB_INVESTIGATOR)

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