Smartphone early-warning system for bipolar mood episodes
Official title: mHealth Estimate-based Algorithms Signaling Upcoming Recurrence of Episodes in Bipolar Disorders (MEASURE-BD)
Funded at Minneapolis VA Medical Center · NIH-11310765 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project uses a smartphone app and algorithms to give Veterans with bipolar disorder early alerts when a mood episode may be starting.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Minneapolis VA Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Minneapolis, United States) |
| Project start | March 1, 2024 |
| Project end | February 29, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| NIH project number | 5I01RX004800-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11310765 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are Veterans diagnosed with bipolar disorder who get care through the VA and can use an Android smartphone.
✕Less likely to help
People without an Android smartphone, those not enrolled in VA care, or those whose symptoms do not show detectable phone-based patterns may not benefit.
What this research studies
You would use an Android phone app that collects everyday data (like movement, phone use, and brief check-ins) while algorithms look for patterns that often come before bipolar mood episodes. The team builds on an earlier pilot and trains models to spot changes days before symptoms get worse. The focus is on Veterans receiving care through the Minneapolis VA, with the goal of delivering timely, low-effort warnings in real life. If alerts work, clinicians could be notified or patients could get prompts to follow up so problems are caught earlier.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help Veterans catch mood episodes earlier so treatment can be adjusted to avoid severe symptoms and loss of daily functioning.
How similar studies have gone: Smartphone monitoring for mood disorders has shown promise in other groups and the investigators’ pilot work indicates feasibility, but this specific algorithm-based approach in Veterans is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
Minneapolis VA Medical Center
Minneapolis, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Urosevic, Snezana — Minneapolis VA Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Urosevic, Snezana
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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.