Prior studies have shown that computer assisted cognitive remediation--meaning using computer games to build up a skill that has been shown to be impaired in a specific disorder--can result in improvement in psychiatric illnesses--including schizophrenia.~This will be the first National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)-funded study to use this retrain your brain approach in children and adolescents with bipolar disorder.~During this study, we are seeking 40 children and adolescents with bipolar disorder to:~come to our lab at Bradley Hospital in East Providence R.I. twice per week (each lasting 1 hour) to play a special computer game for a total of 8 weeks~to have a special MRI before and after this 8-week trial to see if our game improves brain activity~it does NOT matter if your child is already on medications--they can continue during this study~all children/adolescents with bipolar disorder are welcome--as long as they do NOT have implanted metal (no braces, no cochlear implants, etc) because of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) safety.~This is a test of feasibility--meaning we want to see if the 8-week trial results in brain changes.~If it does, we will conduct a second study to see if it improves how bipolar children function--i.e., if it helps their illness.
The main aim of this study is to test a new, non-medication computer-based potential treatment for bipolar disorder in children and adolescents.~In the study, children and adolescents with bipolar disorder will come to our lab at Bradley Hospital 2-times per week for 8-weeks to play a custom computer game designed to retrain the brain--to build a skill that my work has shown is impaired in children/adolescents with bipolar disorder.~Before and after this 8-week trial, children will have a special magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan.~This is a test of feasibility--meaning we want to see if the 8-week trial results in brain changes.~If it does, we will conduct a second study to see if it improves how bipolar children function--i.e., if it helps their illness.