Eating by the clock: a new way to stabilize bipolar moods?
NCT ID NCT06555406
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study looks at whether eating only during certain hours of the day (time-restricted eating) can help people with bipolar disorder feel better. About 150 adults who are already on medication for bipolar disorder will track their eating, sleep, and mood for 2 weeks, then follow an 8-week eating schedule. Researchers will measure changes in mood symptoms and quality of life to see if this simple approach makes a difference.
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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 150 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Nov 2024
- Expected to finish
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Feb 2029
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 65 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: * Meets diagnostic criteria for bipolar I disorder or bipolar II disorder (but not cyclothymia, bipolar disorder Not otherwise specified or bipolar disorder due to another medical condition) assessed by the Diagnostic Interview for Anxiety, Mood, and Obsessive-compulsive and Related Neuropsychiatric Disorders \[DIAMOND\]) * current sleep (insomnia, hypersomnolence) or circadian sleep-wake (delayed phase, advanced phase, irregular sleep-wake, non-24-hour sleep-wake-type) concerns indicated by endorsement of at least some sleep or circadian-related impairment across the screening self-reports or interview * Living in an English-speaking country (and one that the researchers have expertise in research procedures and diet) * Has been speaking English for at least 10 years, speaks English in the home, or certifies that they are able to understand English well for the study and demonstrates this during the screening interview. * Receiving medical care for bipolar disorder (referrals will be provided for those who would like to begin care) * Mood-stabilizing medication regimens stable for at least one month * \< 5 kg weight change in the past 3 months * Currently eating ≥ 12 hours per day at least twice per week * Able to operate the camera function and respond to web-based surveys by phone (loaner phones will be provided as needed) * Not engaged in current shift work or have other responsibilities such as providing care that would chronically disrupt their sleep (i.e., \> 3 h between 22:00 and 05:00 h for at least 1 day/week) * Able to complete 7 days of dietary logs adequately (e.g., at least 2 entries per day, covering at least a 5-hour eating window) during the baseline period * Able to complete screening and baseline questionnaires adequately (e.g., not failing more than 1 attention check item with instructed responding; responding to standard multiple-choice items in a mean of \< 2 seconds per item). Where individuals respond to more than 14 items in a row with the same response, their answers will be manually reviewed for possible invalidity. Exclusion criteria include the following: * Current episode of depression, hypomania or mania, or psychosis (assessed by the DIAMOND), Participants with acute mood disorder episodes will be encouraged to seek treatment and to consider the study when symptoms have remitted. * Eating disorder diagnosis (by self-report of treatment or diagnosis at any point during their life, Short Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-QS) scores above clinical concern thresholds for eating disorders, or DIAMOND interview of symptoms during adulthood) * Past 3-month alcohol use disorder or substance use disorder (assessed by DIAMOND) * Active suicidal ideation coupled with plan, intent or attempt history as assessed by Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale * Conditions that would interfere with ability to take part in the intervention, including pregnancy, breastfeeding, uncorrected hypo or hyperthyroidism, gastrointestinal conditions impairing nutrient absorption * Conditions that would confound immune or other study measures, such as HIV, AIDS, lupus, or multiple sclerosis * Medications contraindicated for fasting: clozapine, glucose-lowering medications, diabetes-related injections, medications requiring food early morning or late evening, corticosteroids; Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonists will not be an exclusion criteria if weight stabilized * Cognitive deficits as noted during the initial interview or as indicated by low performance on the Orientation Memory Concentration Test- Short Version (weighted score \< 20)
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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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University of California Berkeley
RECRUITINGBerkeley, California, 94720-2010, United States
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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- Smartphone sensors may predict bipolar mood swings before they strike
- Does the clock matter? testing early vs. late eating windows for teen weight loss