Clinical Research on Bipolar Disorder

Rif El-Mallakh, M.D. – Principal Investigator Rona Roberts, M.D. – Co-investigator

The bipolar disorder research program is engaged in ongoing studies aimed at improving the treatment of mood disorders. Investigators at the University of Louisville have participated in studies that examined the safety and efficacy of such medications as lamotrigine (Lamictal®), olanzapine (Zyprexa®), aripiprazole (Abilify®), and divalproex (Depakote®). These researchers also found that other agents may not be useful for treatment (medications that work on cortisol receptors and neuropeptide Y). The University of Louisville has been part of national research programs such as genetic investigations to understand the inheritance of bipolar disorder and the STEP-BD study, the largest study of bipolar illness ever done. One of the current projects at the Depression Center is studying magnetic stimulation and cranial electrical stimulation (also known as Alpha Stim) in bipolar depression.