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Teen therapy aims to stop bipolar before it starts
NCT ID NCT04815239
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tests whether a type of talk therapy called Interpersonal and Social Rhythm Therapy (IPSRT) can prevent bipolar disorder in teenagers (ages 12-18) who have a parent with bipolar disorder and are considered high-risk. Participants receive 8 sessions of IPSRT or a healthy lifestyle program via video call, and are followed for 18 months. The goal is to see if stabilizing sleep and daily routines can reduce manic symptoms and mood swings.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Interpersonal and Social Rhythm Therapy (IPSRT) – a behavioral therapy that helps stabilize sleep and daily routines
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a way to prevent or delay bipolar disorder in teenagers who are at high genetic risk.
- What could go wrong
- This is a relatively small, early-stage trial. The therapy may not prevent bipolar episodes, and results may not apply to all at-risk youth.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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119 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Sep 2021
- Expected to finish
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Apr 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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12 to 18 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Age 12-18 years * A parent with a diagnosis of BP I or II * Baseline Risk Calculator score\>0.05; * Able/willing to give informed consent/assent Exclusion Criteria: * A lifetime diagnosis of BP I or II * Current unstabilized psychiatric symptoms * Evidence of developmental disorder or central nervous system disorder
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
Nicole Arnold
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15213, United States
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