Bipolar

The CRiB2 Study

Type

In person

Age

18-62

Location

London

Time commitment

The main part of the study includes three appointments at the research site, which will take 2-2.5 hours each and are 12-13 weeks apart from each other. Each appointment includes:
• Interview-based measures: You will be asked questions about your illness and treatments.
• Thinking skills exercises: These are focused on things like memory, concentration, planning and reasoning.
• Questionnaires: With the researcher, questionnaires are about things like daily life functioning, quality of life, mood, sleep quality, early life experiences, and difficulties with thinking skills.

If you will be randomized to the therapy group, therapy sessions will be held 2-3 times per week (for approximately 1 hour) with the help of a therapist, and you will also be encouraged to practice CIRCUITS in your own time.

Rewards and expenses

£60 for your study participation, an extra of £30 if you participate in the sleep-EEG, up to £15 per visit of travel costs

How to take part

About the study

Many people who have been given a diagnosis of bipolar disorder experience difficulties with their memory, concentration or their ability to make decisions and solve problems. These problems may make some everyday tasks or working difficult. Cognitive remediation is a psychological therapy which has been shown to help people improve their thinking skills. We are using a computerised version of cognitive remediation, called CIRCUITS, which focuses on linking the training of thinking skills to many real-world situations and problems. We recently completed a study (“CRiB study”) with 60 participants which found that CIRCuiTS can improve the thinking skills and daily life functioning of people with bipolar disorder. This study provided promising results, but it wasn’t big enough to confidently support the benefits of cognitive remediation for people with bipolar disorder. Thus, we are now doing a bigger study, so that we can be more confident about whether cognitive remediation is effective.

What will it involve?

Using a random process, half of the participants will be offered cognitive remediation therapy for 12 weeks, as well as continuing their normal treatment, while the rest will be asked to only continue their treatment as usual. All participants will be asked to attend 3 assessment sessions (before the intervention starts; after it has finished; and 3 months later), where you will complete a series of measures and questionnaires. Additionally, you may choose to take part in the sleep-EEG component of the study. In that case, you will receive a fabric headband with integrated electrodes that measures the electrical activity of your brain during your sleep. You will be asked to take the headband home and sleep for three consecutive nights with it after your first assessment session.

Researcher photo: Dimosthenis Tsapekos
Meet the researcher

Dimosthenis Tsapekos

Postdoctoral Research Associate

Dimos obtained a degree in both Psychology and Mental Health Studies in Thessaloniki, Greece and London, before obtaining a PhD exploring treatment response and therapeutic mechanisms of cognitive remediation therapy at King's College London.

Research conducted by: King's College London

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