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Bipolar DisorderPhase 2NCT00854737

Cytidine and Omega-3 Fatty Acids in Bipolar Disorder

A Phase 2 study testing cytidine and omega-3 fatty acids in people with Bipolar Disorder, run by Mclean Hospital at 2 sites in United States.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

The goal of the proposed clinical trial is to assess the effect of oral cytidine and omega-3 fatty acids (O3FA) on bipolar disorder symptoms. This study is a 4-month, randomized, parallel-group, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study of a combination of cytidine and omega-3 fatty acids in 90 recently ill… Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 to 55 years
Conditions the study is for
Bipolar Disorder
What is being tested?
cytidine and omega-3 fatty acids
Type of treatment
Pill or oral medicine
Could I receive a placebo?
Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
How many people
90 participants
Where
2 sitesUnited States
Study dates
Jul 2004to Jul 2010
Phase
Phase 2
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 to 55 years
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult

Who may be able to join

  • bipolar disorder
  • mood episode within past year
  • stable medication regimen

Who cannot join

  • primary psychiatric disorder other than bipolar disorder
  • significant suicide or homicide risk
  • unstable medical conditions
  • current or planned pregnancy
  • lactose intolerance
  • medications affecting lipid absorption or metabolism
  • clozapine treatment

Trial locations and contacts

2 sites in 1 country.

United States2 sites
  • McLean Hospital

    Belmont, Massachusetts, 02478

  • Jersey Shore University Medical Center

    Neptune City, New Jersey, 07753

Other trials in United States

About this study

Official title: A Combination of Cytidine and Omega-3 Fatty Acids in Bipolar Disorder: Are There Additive or Synergistic Mood Stabilizing Effects?

The goal of the proposed clinical trial is to assess the effect of oral cytidine and omega-3 fatty acids (O3FA) on bipolar disorder symptoms. This study is a 4-month, randomized, parallel-group, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study of a combination of cytidine and omega-3 fatty acids in 90 recently ill subjects with bipolar disorder. During the 16 week period of the study, subjects are assigned to one of three groups: 1) omega-3 fatty acids + cytidine supplementation, 2) omega-3 fatty acids supplementation alone, and 3) placebo supplementation.

Read the detailed description

Previous studies examining the effect of omega-3 fatty acids on bipolar depression have had mixed results. Some studies have found that omega-3 fatty acids have a positive effect on bipolar depression symptoms, while other studies have found no difference between placebo and omega-3 fatty acid treatment.

The variable effects noted with omega-3 fatty acids may be due in part to a real effect with limited potency. Larger effects might be achieved by combining agents with synergistic effects.

Cytidine is necessary to form key intermediates in the biosynthesis of the phospholipids phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine, which are major components of eukaryotic cell membranes. Recent human studies by our group have shown that CDP-choline (a compound composed of cytidine and choline) can modify brain phospholipid synthesis in healthy adults and may have antidepressant effects (Babb et al., 1996; Babb et al., 2002; Carlezon et al., 2002; Renshaw et al., 1999). The combination of omega-fatty acids and the related pyrimidine, uridine, was associated with enhanced antidepressant-like activity in rats (Carlezon et al., 2005). Thus, the combination of omega-3 fatty acid and cytidine, which is interconverted with uridine in the body, may provide a safe and powerful way to treat bipolar disorder, especially bipolar depression.

This study is a 4-month, randomized, parallel-group, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study of a combination of cytidine and omega-3 fatty acids in 90 recently ill subjects with bipolar disorder. During the 16 week period of the study, subjects are assigned to one of three groups: 1) omega-3 fatty acids + cytidine supplementation, 2) omega-3 fatty acids supplementation alone, and 3) placebo supplementation.

Being tested
cytidine, omega-3 fatty acids, placebo
Keywords
bipolar disorder, bipolar depression, bipolar mania, manic depression, depression, mania, hypomania
Medical subject headings
Bipolar Disorder, Depression, Mania

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • cytidineDietary supplement

    cytidine (2g po daily for 4 months)

  • omega-3 fatty acidsDietary supplement

    omega-3 fatty acids (4g po daily for 4 months)

  • placeboDrug

    Also called arm 2 and 3

    sugar pill

Study groups in NCT00854737
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
1Active comparatorOmega-3 fatty acid and cytidine supplementation
Receives: Dietary Supplement: cytidine; Dietary Supplement: omega-3 fatty acids
2Active comparatoromega-3 fatty acid supplementation
Receives: Dietary Supplement: omega-3 fatty acids
placeboPlacebo comparatorplaceno or sugar pill
Receives: Drug: placebo

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Mood Rating Scale Scores

    Measured: weekly-biweekly

Secondary outcomes (2)
  1. Study Retention Time

    Measured: 4 months

  2. functional recovery

    Measured: weekly-biweekly

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted3 Mar 2009 (estimated)
  2. Study startJul 2004
  3. Primary completionAug 2007
  4. Study completionJul 2010

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase 2
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
Triple blind
Who is masked
Participant, Investigator, Outcomes assessor
Enrolment
90 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT00854737
Sponsor's protocol ID
2009-P-000149
Status last verified
Apr 2012
First submitted
27 Feb 2009
Last updated
20 Apr 2012
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No

Publications

  • Babb SM, Appelmans KE, Renshaw PF, Wurtman RJ, Cohen BM. Differential effect of CDP-choline on brain cytosolic choline levels in younger and older subjects as measured by proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 1996 Sep;127(2):88-94. doi: 10.1007/BF02805979.

    PubMed 8888372
  • Babb SM, Wald LL, Cohen BM, Villafuerte RA, Gruber SA, Yurgelun-Todd DA, Renshaw PF. Chronic citicoline increases phosphodiesters in the brains of healthy older subjects: an in vivo phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy study. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2002 May;161(3):248-54. doi: 10.1007/s00213-002-1045-y. Epub 2002 Mar 22.

    PubMed 12021827
  • Carlezon WA Jr, Mague SD, Parow AM, Stoll AL, Cohen BM, Renshaw PF. Antidepressant-like effects of uridine and omega-3 fatty acids are potentiated by combined treatment in rats. Biol Psychiatry. 2005 Feb 15;57(4):343-50. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2004.11.038.

    PubMed 15705349
  • Stoll AL, Severus WE, Freeman MP, Rueter S, Zboyan HA, Diamond E, Cress KK, Marangell LB. Omega 3 fatty acids in bipolar disorder: a preliminary double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1999 May;56(5):407-12. doi: 10.1001/archpsyc.56.5.407.

    PubMed 10232294
  • Carlezon WA, Pliakas AM, Parow AM, Detke MJ, Cohen BM, Renshaw PF. Antidepressant-like effects of cytidine in the forced swim test in rats. Biol Psychiatry. 2002 Jun 1;51(11):882-9. doi: 10.1016/s0006-3223(01)01344-0.

    PubMed 12022961
  • Murphy BL, Stoll AL, Harris PQ, Ravichandran C, Babb SM, Carlezon WA Jr, Cohen BM. Omega-3 fatty acid treatment, with or without cytidine, fails to show therapeutic properties in bipolar disorder: a double-blind, randomized add-on clinical trial. J Clin Psychopharmacol. 2012 Oct;32(5):699-703. doi: 10.1097/JCP.0b013e318266854c.

    PubMed 22926607

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A Phase 2 study testing cytidine and omega-3 fatty acids in people with Bipolar Disorder, run by Mclean Hospital at 2 sites in United States.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 3 inclusion and 7 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 20 Apr 2012. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 2 sites in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. Some participants in this study may receive a placebo. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

What does this phase mean?

Phase 2 studies give the treatment to a larger group to see whether it has the intended effect and to keep checking safety.

Not every study follows the same path, and some studies (observational studies, device studies) have no phase.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Mood Rating Scale Scores (time frame: weekly-biweekly). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT00854737, which also lists 6 linked publications.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 20 Apr 2012.

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