NIMH Rhythms and Blues Study: A Prospective Natural History Study of Motor Activity, Mood States, and Bipolar Disorder

NCT ID: NCT05669703

Last Updated: 2025-11-17

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: RECRUITING
• Total Enrollment: 1260 participants
• Study Classification: OBSERVATIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2023-11-03
• Study Completion Date: 2026-07-31

Brief Summary

Background:

Mood disorders, such as bipolar disorder, can have serious effects on a person s life. People with bipolar disorder are more likely to have heart disease and abuse substances. In this natural history study, researchers would like to learn more about the connection between exercise and mental health in people with and without mood disorders.

Objective:

To better understand relationships among physical activity, sleep, and mental health.

Eligibility:

People aged 12 to 60 years with a history of a mood disorder. Healthy spouses and relatives with no mood disorders are also needed.

Design:

Participants will be in the study up to 2 years.

For up to 20 days in a row, at 4 times during the study, participants will:

Complete an electronic diary on their smartphone. Participants will answer questions about their mood, health, sleep, and daily activities.

Wear an activity monitor, like a wristwatch, that records how much they move.

Wear a light sensor, as a necklace, to record the amount of light in their environment.

Some participants will do additional tests. Twice during the study, for 3 days in a row, they will:

Wear monitors to record their temperature, heart rate, and sleep.

Provide saliva samples.

Complete cognitive tasks on their smartphone.

Participants will visit the NIH clinic 2 times. They will have a physical exam, with blood and urine tests. They will wear a heart monitor. They will ride a stationary bike for 30 minutes. They may have an imaging scan.

Some participants will stay overnight. They will go to sleep wearing a cap to measure their brain activity.

Detailed Description

Study Description:

The overarching goal of this study is to investigate potential mechanisms underlying the association between motor activity and mood states and disorders. In a previous study using real-time tracking of objectively assessed motor activity and subjectively rated mood states with ecological momentary assessments (EMA), we found a unidirectional association between motor activity and mood that was especially notable among adults with bipolar I (BPI) disorder. The proposed study seeks to replicate these findings, and more extensively characterize the associations between motor activity and mood states by expanding the assessments of individual, physiologic, cognitive, and environmental correlates. This study will employ an intensive longitudinal design with combined ecological and laboratory assessments in the NIH Clinical Center in a sample of 280 probands with a lifetime history of bipolar I (BPI) disorder, bipolar II (BPII) disorder, major depressive disorder (MDD), or no lifetime history of a mood disorder. The study will also include up to 700 first-degree relatives (280 siblings and 420 offspring) and 280 spouses of the probands. A subset of the probands and relatives will participate in an outpatient and/or inpatient component. The overarching hypothesis is that increases in motor activity, especially exercise, are associated with improvements in mood states. These findings will have implications for interventions in both the general community and clinical samples of people with mood disorders.

Objectives: The study has four specific aims:

1. Examine the associations between motor activity (using high resolution wearable sensors that are time-synchronized with EMA) and mood states in probands with a lifetime history of BPI disorder, BPII disorder, MDD, or no mood disorder (Multidomain Ecological Assessment).

2. Evaluate associations between motor activity and mood states among first-degree relatives and spouses of probands with and without BPI disorder, BPII disorder, MDD, or other mood disorder (Familial Patterns).

3. Quantify the impacts of exercise (a submaximal exercise test) on mood states and related domains by mood-disorder group in a controlled laboratory setting (Exercise).

4. Explore potential correlates of the association between motor activity and mood states (Correlates).

Endpoints:

Primary Endpoints:

1. Subjective mood and energy ratings assessed 4 times daily with EMA in ecological settings;

2. Scores on standardized questionnaires of mood and mania/hypomania;

3. Clinical rating scales;

4. Within subject and group level averages and variability.

Secondary Endpoints:

1. Subjective mood and energy ratings assessed with EMA before and after exercise;

2. Clinical rating scales;

3. Continuous heart rate measurements, blood pressure before and after (immediately, 0.5, 1,3, 12, and 24 hrs.) exercise.

Tertiary Endpoints:

Potential correlates of the association between motor activity and mood states including individual factors (e.g., age, sex, comorbidity, medical history), physiologic factors (e.g., heart rate, cortisol, light sensitivity), cognitive factors (e.g., performance on cognitive and neuroimaging tasks), and environmental factors (e.g., light, season, temperature).

Conditions

Bipolar Disorder; Major Depression; Migraine

Study Design

• Observational Model Type: FAMILY_BASED
• Study Time Perspective: PROSPECTIVE

Study Groups

1

Community cohort of families

No interventions assigned to this group

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

To be eligible to participate in this study, an individual must meet all of the following criteria:

1. Stated willingness to comply with all study procedures and availability for the duration of the study

2. Aged 12 and older

3. Probands must have at least one first-degree relative agree to participate

4. Affected probands must have a lifetime history of a mood disorder

5. Unaffected probands must have no lifetime history of a mood disorder

6. In good general health as evidenced by medical history

7. Agreement to adhere to Lifestyle Considerations throughout study duration

8. Ability of subject (or Legally Authorized Representative (LAR)) to understand and the willingness to sign a written informed consent document.

Exclusion Criteria

The presence of certain medical conditions may interfere with the interpretation or increase risk of medical complications of the assessments including exercise. Therefore, an individual who meets any of the following criteria will be excluded from participation in this study:

1. Pregnancy

2. People in acute episodes of mania or depression (not excluded, but will delay study entry until sufficiently managed to allow participation in study procedures).

• Minimum Eligible Age: 12 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 70 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

NIH

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Responsibility Role: SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

Kathleen R Merikangas, Ph.D.

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

Locations

National Institutes of Health Clinical Center

Bethesda, Maryland, United States

Site Status: RECRUITING

Countries

United States

Central Contacts

Kathleen R Merikangas, Ph.D.

Role: CONTACT

familystudy@nih.gov

(301) 496-7773

Facility Contacts

For more information at the NIH Clinical Center contact Office of Patient Recruitment (OPR)

Role: primary

ccopr@nih.gov

800-411-1222 ext. TTY dial 711

Related Links

https://clinicalstudies.info.nih.gov/cgi/detail.cgi?A_000754-M.html

NIH Clinical Center Detailed Web Page

Other Identifiers

000754-M

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: secondary_id

10000754

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id