The Stanley Foundation Bipolar Network. I. Rationale and methods.

R M Post; W A Nolen; R W Kupka; K D Denicoff; G S Leverich; P E Keck; S L McElroy; A J Rush; T Suppes; L L Altshuler; M A Frye; H Grunze; J Walden

doi:10.1192/bjp.178.41.s169

PubMed · 11450179

The Stanley Foundation Bipolar Network. I. Rationale and methods.

R M Post·W A Nolen·R W Kupka·K D Denicoff·G S Leverich·P E Keck·S L McElroy·A J Rush·T Suppes·L L Altshuler·M A Frye·H Grunze·J Walden

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Abstract

BACKGROUND: The Stanley Foundation Bipolar Network (SFBN) was created to address the paucity of help studies in bipolar illness. AIMS: To describe the rationale and methods of the SFBN. METHOD: The SFBN includes five core sites and a number of affiliated sites that have adopted consistent methodology for continuous longitudinal monitoring of patients. Open and controlled studies are performed as patients' symptomatology dictates. RESULTS: The reliability of SFBN raters and the validity of the rating instruments have been established. More than 500 patients are in continuous daily longitudinal follow-up. More than 125 have been randomised to one of three of the newer antidepressants (bupropion, sertraline and venlafaxine) as adjuncts in a study of mood stabilizers and 93 to omega-3 fatty acids. A number of open clinical case series have been published. CONCLUSIONS: Well-characterised patients are followed in a detailed continuous longitudinal fashion in both opportunistic case series and double-blind, randomised controlled trials with reliable and validated measures.

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Antimanic Agents Bipolar Disorder Humans Longitudinal Studies Multicenter Studies as Topic Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic Research Design Journal Article Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Review

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R M Post, W A Nolen, R W Kupka, K D Denicoff, G S Leverich, P E Keck, S L McElroy, A J Rush, T Suppes, L L Altshuler, M A Frye, H Grunze, J Walden. 2001. The Stanley Foundation Bipolar Network. I. Rationale and methods.. https://doi.org/10.1192/bjp.178.41.s169

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