Brain implants and wearables to monitor and help severe bipolar depression
Official title: Building Mood State Classifiers to Inform Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) of Treatment-Resistant Bipolar Depression
Funded at Baylor College of Medicine · NIH-11178411 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project uses an implanted brain stimulator together with phone and wearable data to detect mood patterns and help people whose bipolar depression hasn't responded to other treatments.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Baylor College of Medicine NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Houston, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2024 |
| Project end | August 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $1,900,025 |
| NIH project number | 5UH3NS136631-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11178411 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with bipolar disorder whose depression has not improved after multiple standard treatments and who are willing and medically able to undergo DBS surgery and device monitoring.
✕Less likely to help
People with milder bipolar symptoms, those who are not surgical candidates, unwilling to use a smartphone or wearable, or with major medical contraindications may not benefit.
What this research studies
If you join, you'll receive a sensing-capable deep brain stimulation device placed in a mood-related brain area (ventral capsule/ventral striatum). The device's brain signals will be time-locked with data from a smartphone app and wearables like an Apple Watch to capture sleep, activity, and behavior. Researchers will use those data to build computerized mood classifiers that identify depression, mania, and mixed states and track transitions over time. Much of the monitoring happens remotely, with regular clinic visits for surgery and follow-up.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could enable more precise, timely brain stimulation and personalized care that reduces severe, treatment-resistant depressive episodes.
How similar studies have gone: Deep brain stimulation has helped some people with severe mood disorders in prior studies but results are mixed, and combining chronic brain sensing with wearables is a newer approach with limited early promising evidence.
Where this research is happening
-
Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Goodman, Wayne K — Baylor College of Medicine
- Study coordinator: Goodman, Wayne K
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Mood-state classifiers to guide brain stimulation for treatment-resistant bipolar depression
This project tests a brain stimulation therapy combined with wearable and smartphone data to help people with treatment-resistant bipolar depression regain mood stability.
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Using brain stimulation to improve mood in patients with treatment-resistant bipolar depression
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Deep brain stimulation targeting the medial forebrain bundle for severe treatment‑resistant depression
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.