Self Focus in Bipolar Disorder: A Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) Study

An fMRI Study of Self Processing and Self Focus in Major Depression and Bipolar Disorder

Status

Completed

Phases

Unknown

Study type

Observational

Source

ClinicalTrials.gov

Registry ID

NCT02253225

Enrollment

Registered

2014-10-01

Start date

2013-01-31

Completion date

2020-01-31

Last updated

2021-09-01

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Bipolar Disorder, Major Depression, Rumination

Keywords

Bipolar Disorder, Major Depression, Rumination, Self Processing

Brief summary

The investigators propose to examine both resting state activity and functional activity during rumination and during self-processing to study the relationship between neural correlates of rumination/self-focus and self-processing in major depression and bipolar disorder.

Detailed description

Negative rumination, a specific form of self-focus, characterized by repetitively focusing on one's symptoms of distress, and the possible causes and consequences of these symptoms, is a hallmark of depression. Nearly a decade of research has culminated in evidence that the tendency to engage in negative rumination is highly correlated with depressive symptoms. Rumination also plays a critical role in the etiology and maintenance of depressed states and predicts risk for mania in bipolar disorder. Despite the central role of rumination in major depression and bipolar disorder, there have been few studies to date investigating the functional neuroanatomy of negative rumination, and no studies of positive rumination. The few neuroimaging studies that have utilized measures of the tendency to engage in negative rumination have focused on brain functioning when performing tasks that involve processing emotional or self-referential stimuli, but they have not studied resting state activity or functional activity during negative and positive rumination. We are examining both resting state activity and functional activity during negative and positive rumination and during self-processing to study the relationship between the neural correlates of rumination/self-focus and self-processing in major depression and bipolar disorder.

Interventions

OTHERFunctional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI)

Imaging will be performed on a 3T Siemens Trio scanner. Each MRI scanning session will last no more than 90 minutes.

Study design

Observational model

CASE_CONTROL

Time perspective

CROSS_SECTIONAL

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

ALL

Age

18 Years to 64 Years

Healthy volunteers

Yes

Inclusion criteria

Healthy Controls: * Right-handed (as determined by the Handedness Inventory; Oldfield, 1971) * Normal or corrected-to normal vision and hearing

Exclusion criteria

for Healthy Controls: * Any current or past psychiatric history * Significant medical, psychiatric or neurological illness * Currently taking antidepressants, mood stabilizers, or benzodiazepines * Positive MR screen (e.g., metal implant, claustrophobia, etc) Inclusion Criteria for Patients with Major Depression: * Current diagnosis of MDD * Right-handed (as determined by the Handedness Inventory; Oldfield, 1971) * Normal or corrected-to normal vision and hearing

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame	Description
Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) to examine self processing and self focus	Participants will be analyzed as quickly as possible after a screening visit, an expected average of 2 weeks	Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) will be used to look at the neuroanatomy of self processing and self focus.

Countries

United States

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026