Research
Clinical trials and observational studies in our Behavioral Neuroendocrinology Program are focused on the most salient issues affecting women across their reproductive years. These include prenatal and postnatal aspects of psychiatric disorders, reproductive function in women with mood disorders, and interactions between reproductive hormones and brain function across the lifespan. We actively collaborate with faculty in other departments within Stanford University, including Obstetrics and Gynecology, Endocrinology, and Neurology, with the goal of improving the understanding and treatment of conditions related to the reproductive cycle.
We are currently enrolling participants in the following study:
Insulin Resistance in Patients with Mood Disorders
Insulin resistance is known to be associated with mood disorders and cognitive difficulties. The purpose of this study is to examine the potential mood and cognitive effects of the insulin-sensitizing medication rosiglitazone (Avandia). We are recruiting men and women who have been diagnosed with depression and who are willing to participate in this 3-month study. Participation involves pre- and post-treatment neuropsychological testing, pre- and post-treatment oral glucose tolerance tests, and treatment with rosiglitazone. Participants are allowed to continue on any current medications. For more information, please call or email Bevin at (650) 723-7845 / bnpowers@stanford.edu.
We have just completed enrollment in the following studies:
Reproductive Endocrine Function and Mood in Women with Bipolar Disorder
Lamotrigine in the Treatment of Bipolar Disorder in Women of Reproductive Age
Estrogen Use in Protection from Cognitive Decline
Treatment-Associated Changes in Insulin Sensitivity and Blood Lipids with Adjunctive Ziprasidone in Overweight and Obese Patients with Bipolar Disorder
Collaborators at Stanford University
Other Collaborators
Michael Bauer, M.D., Ph.D., Department of Psychiatry, Technische Universität Dresden, Germany
Elissa Epel, Ph.D., Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco
Margaret Gatz, Ph.D., Department of Psychologica, University of Southern California
Nancy Pederson, Ph.D., Department of Psychiatry, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
Daniel Silverman, M.D., Ph.D., Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, University of California, Los Angeles
Owen Wolkowitz, M.D., Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco
