Smartwatch data may forecast bipolar mood swings
NCT ID NCT05828056
First seen Jul 31, 2026 · Last updated Jul 31, 2026
Summary
This study is testing whether a smartwatch can help predict when a person with bipolar disorder or major depressive disorder might experience a manic or depressive episode. Researchers will track 100 participants for a year, collecting data on heart rate, sleep, and activity levels. The goal is to build a computer model that can spot early warning signs of a mood episode, potentially allowing for earlier intervention and better management of these conditions.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Wearable activity tracker (Garmin smartwatch)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could lead to a tool that alerts patients and doctors to an impending mood episode, enabling earlier treatment and potentially better long-term outcomes.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early-stage study with a small number of participants. The prediction model may not be accurate enough for real-world use, and individual differences in activity and sleep patterns could limit its generalizability.
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.
- Participants
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About 100 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Mar 2020
- 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.
Who is studied
We will recruit 100 patients with mood disorders from the psychiatric ward and outpatient services of the Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital. All the participants will be followed for one year to collect the daily activity level, sleep patterns, heart rate through actigraphy, as well as location, mood report, drug compliance and face photo through smartphone app that will be developed by Co-PI Lai.
- Ages
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20 to 60 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.
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: * DSM-5 Bipolar disorder or depressive disorder * 20\~60 years old * Willing to carry smartwatch and smartphone most of the time Exclusion Criteria: * Comorbid with substance use disorder * Unable to use smartwatch and smartphone
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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
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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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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National Taiwan University Hospital
RECRUITINGTaipei, Taiwan
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