Conditions: Bipolar Disorder Metabolic Syndrome
Keywords: bipolar disorder sedation overweight Abilify medication
Allocation: NA | Intervention model: SINGLE_GROUP
Enrollment: 3
Healthy volunteers: no

Brief summary:
The proposed study is a non-randomized, open label trial that will examine the potential to reduce metabolic risk factors in patients with bipolar I disorder and improve psychiatric and functional outcomes. To accomplish our objective, we plan to conduct a 5-month intervention of 50 obese or overweight adults diagnosed with bipolar disorder. The study will be divided in three steps: Screening, Baseline Period (cross taper to aripiprazole, up to 2 months in duration), Months 1-3 (continued aripiprazole treatment). Subjects will be assessed and meet with their study psychiatrist at least bi-monthly throughout their participation, more frequently when clinically necessary (e.g. during medication tapering or if manic/depressive symptoms emerge). Brief clinical assessments will be conducted at each visit. More thorough assessments will be conducted at Baseline, Week 2, and Month 3.

Detailed description:

Arms:
arm 1: Aripiprazole

Interventions: intervention 1: Aripiprazole
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: All subjects will be assessed at baseline and then switched from their current antimanic agent to aripiprazole. Arpipirazole will be titrated from a starting dose of 5 mg/day up to a target dose of 15 mg/day over a period of up to 2 months (approximately 8 weeks). Concomitant medication will not be changed unless medically necessary. If a subject is taking an antipsychotic in addition to divalproex, aripiprazole will replace the antipsychotic.

Protocol document: