Keto diet shows promise for bipolar disorder in early trial
NCT ID NCT06558201
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Aug 18, 2026 · Updated 3 times
Summary
This 12-week study is for people who completed a previous trial of the ketogenic diet for first-episode bipolar disorder. Researchers want to see if the diet can improve symptoms like depression, mania, and psychosis, as well as brain energy metabolism and insulin resistance. About 50 participants will follow a high-fat, low-carb diet while being monitored for changes in mood and metabolic health.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- ketogenic diet
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could point toward a dietary approach to help manage bipolar disorder symptoms and related metabolic issues.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage extension study with no control group, so results may not be conclusive. The strict diet can be hard to follow and may cause side effects like fatigue or nutrient deficiencies.
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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About 50 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Aug 2024
- Expected to finish
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Dec 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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18 to 45 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
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Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Participants who met original entry criteria in, and completed, the randomized 12-week study of NCT06221852. Exclusion Criteria: -No longer meeting original entry criteria from the randomized 12-week study of NCT06221852.
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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.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
The full official record for this study. This one lists no contact details, but it is the first place any would appear.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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McLean Hospital
Belmont, Massachusetts, 02487, United States
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