Detailed brain mapping for bipolar disorder and major depression
Official title: Large-scale fine mapping of brain morphometry in bipolar disorder and major depression
Funded at University of Southern California · NIH-11512325 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are using thousands of MRI scans to map fine-grained brain structure differences in people with bipolar disorder and major depression compared with people without these conditions.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Southern California NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Los Angeles, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | December 1, 2024 |
| Project end | November 30, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $60,342 |
| NIH project number | 3R21MH139001-02S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11512325 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are people diagnosed with bipolar disorder or major depressive disorder who can provide MRI scans and clinical information through a participating site or research center.
✕Less likely to help
People without mood disorders or those seeking a direct treatment or immediate clinical benefit are unlikely to gain personal health benefits from this mapping project.
What this research studies
This project combines MRI scans and clinical data collected around the world to create very large groups of people with bipolar disorder, major depression, and healthy controls. Scientists will use a voxel-wise brain mapping method (ENIGMA-VBM) that looks at tiny 3D pieces of the whole brain, including often-overlooked areas like the cerebellum. The work uses both pooled (mega) and federated meta-analysis approaches so sites can contribute data while maintaining local control. The goal is to find consistent, focal brain patterns linked to illness and clinical features across many populations.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could point to reliable brain markers that help improve diagnosis, track illness features, or guide future treatments for mood disorders.
How similar studies have gone: Previous ENIGMA work using regional brain measures has produced reproducible findings across large samples, while this voxel-wise, whole-brain mapping approach is newer but builds on that consortium's prior successes.
Where this research is happening
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University of Southern California
Los Angeles, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ching, Christopher — University of Southern California
- Study coordinator: Ching, Christopher
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Mapping brain structure in bipolar disorder and major depression
This project uses thousands of brain scans to find detailed patterns in brain anatomy linked to bipolar disorder and major depression.
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Mapping brain structure differences in bipolar disorder and major depression
This study looks at how the brains of people with bipolar disorder and major depression are different from those of healthy individuals, using advanced imaging techniques to find specific brain patterns, which could help improve how we diagnose and treat these conditions.
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Trans-Nordic look at extreme major depression genetics
A large genetics study is exploring what makes extreme forms of major depression unique, by studying many thousands of people and their DNA.
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Genetic factors behind alcohol and opioid use disorders and depression in veterans
A study using genetic data from veterans to understand how genes contribute to co-occurring alcohol use, prescription opioid use, and depression.
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Global Deep Learning effort to predict depression treatment response
A patient-focused project uses AI on brain scans to predict who with major depression will respond to rTMS treatment.
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Understanding immune dysfunction and social stress in veterans with depression
A study in U.S. veterans with major depressive disorder looks at how stress-related immune changes may be linked to depression and heart health.
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.