Ongoing Studies at the Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic look at Bipolar Disorder and Youth

Boris Birmaher, M.D. Professor of Psychiatry

Course and Outcome for Youth with Bipolar Illness (COBY); PI: Boris Birmaher, M.D.; Co-PIs: David Axelson, M.D.; Neal Ryan, M.D. NIMH; 1RO1 MH59929-01A1; August 2000 - July 2005.
The goal of this multi-site study is to evaluate the clinical course, predictors, psychosocial outcome and treatment effects in a group of children and adolescents (ages 7-17 y.o.) with bipolar disorder. The research proposed represents the first systematic effort at advancing knowledge of the psychopathological course and outcome of BPI in adolescents, a potentially disabling illness for which most basic questions of importance remain unanswered.

Children of Bipolar Parents: A High Risk Follow-up Study; PI: Boris Birmaher, M.D.; Co-PIs: David Axelson, M.D.; David A. Brent, M.D.; NIMH; 1RO1 MH60952-01A1; 2001-2006.
This is a 5-year longitudinal, high-risk study examining the psychopathological and functional status of 800 offspring (ages 2-18.11 years) of 400 parents with bipolar disorder (BPD) and comparing them with 300 offspring of 150 non-bipolar community control parents with frequency matched on age, ethnicity, and neighborhood. This unique prospective study will have important implications for early detection, intervention, and prevention of childhood-onset BPD.