Bipolar disorder in older adults is a major public health concern. While the prevalence is 1 percent, it accounts for up to 10 percent of geriatric psychiatry inpatient admissions and 17 percent of psychiatric emergency room visits among the elderly. In late life bipolar disorder, there is often an associated decline in function and cognition.
This research is being done to find out more about how changes in biological mechanisms in the brain, such as oxidative stress, affect the course of illness in a person with a mood disorder. The long-term goal of the study is to understand biological mechanisms in the brain that contribute to a better or worse course of illness in mood disorder to inform the development of intervention and prevention strategies.
Depression is a common disorder, with one in five individuals experiencing an episode in their lifetime. A history of depression is associated with a twofold increase in risk of dementia in later life. Thus, another goal of this project is to examine oxidative stress as a potential mechanism underlying increased risk of dementia in depression.
To participate
This research study will involve two visits over a period of two weeks consisting of a blood draw, a urine toxicology screen, psychiatric evaluations, questionnaires, and a scan of your brain called magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI.
People ages 35-84 years with and without mood disorders may participate.
For more information about the research study, contact the research coordinator at 410-614-1017.
Principal investigator: Fernando Goes, MD
IRB: IRB00104809
