Suicide risk in bipolar disorder and major depression
Official title: Suicidality in Bipolar and Major Depression Disorders
Funded at University of Iowa · NIH-11137744 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project uses brain scans and questionnaires to find brain circuit and metabolic differences linked to suicidal behavior in people with bipolar disorder or major depression.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Iowa NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Iowa City, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2022 |
| Project end | June 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $1,377,071 |
| NIH project number | 4RF1MH125838-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11137744 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with bipolar I disorder or major depressive disorder who can undergo MRI and complete clinical assessments, and healthy volunteers for the control group, are the ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People without a mood disorder, those who cannot have MRI scans (for example due to metal implants or severe claustrophobia), or those unwilling to complete interviews and questionnaires may not benefit or be eligible.
What this research studies
You would join a group of about 300 people with bipolar I disorder or major depressive disorder (half with past suicide attempts and half without) plus 75 matched healthy volunteers. Visits include clinical interviews and questionnaires about mood, personality, and suicidal behavior, and detailed brain imaging including structural MRI, task fMRI, resting-state connectivity, diffusion imaging, magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), and T1ρ scans. The team will map a proposed "suicide risk circuit" that includes the cerebellum and compare connectivity and metabolism across groups. Findings aim to reveal brain patterns tied to suicide attempts that could guide future ways to detect risk or tailor treatments.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help identify brain markers of suicide risk to improve early detection and guide more targeted prevention strategies.
How similar studies have gone: Prior imaging studies have linked brain circuits to suicidal behavior, but including the cerebellum and combining metabolic (MRS/T1ρ) and connectome measures in a large prospective sample is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Iowa
Iowa City, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Magnotta, Vincent a — University of Iowa
- Study coordinator: Magnotta, Vincent a
Related research
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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.