Tiffany Farchione, M.D.

Fellow in Child & Adolescent Depression

Project Details

PROJECT TITLE

Identifying Neurodevelopmental Correlates of Disease in Bipolar Disorder

PROJECT SUMMARY

The primary objective of this study is to examine whether children and adolescents with subsyndromal symptoms of bipolar disorder (BP)-specifically those with BP not otherwise specified (NOS)-have similar functional neuroimaging correlates of cognitive control and emotion regulation as youth with BP-I.

Through this study, Dr. Farchione hopes to develop a better understanding of the neurodevelopmental underpinnings of pediatric BP, specifically exploring functional correlates of cognitive control and emotion regulation.

The proposed study involves a three way comparison-BP-I vs. BP-NOS vs. Controls-with 30 subjects in each group. Subjects will perform a cognitive control task, and emotional processing task, and a mixed cognitive-affective task as part of a functional magnetic resonance imaging protocol.

Although Dr. Farchione is particularly interested in the BP-I vs. BP-NOS comparison and the possibility that similarities and/or differences between these groups may predict course and outcome in the subjects with BP-NOS, the inclusion of a healthy control comparison group allows her to control for effects of normal development.