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Mood Disorders

Sometimes, people don’t feel relief with the first antidepressant they try. Many still don’t experience relief even after trying what feels like every medication on the market. Our team is at the forefront of pharmaceutical and neuromodulation treatments for mood disorders, particularly treatment-resistant depression, finding solutions and bringing new hope to people who have been struggling for years.

We were one of the first sites in the country to offer Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS), and have shown that this device benefits adults. And, we completed a groundbreaking study on vagus nerve stimulation (VNS), a device that delivers electrical impulses to the vagus nerve via an implanted generator. Both of these neuromodulation devices have shown beneficial results for those suffering from treatment-resistant depression, giving them renewed hope.

What We are Studying

  • Add-on probiotic microorganisms to prevent relapse and improve the clinical course after hospitalization for bipolar depression. This trial follows on our trial of probiotics for patients with acute mania in which we found that the group who received add-on probiotics had fewer psychiatric readmissions in the follow up period. Patients will be followed for a 6-month treatment period following hospital discharge. See what we have learned so far.

  • Transcranial magnetic stimulation for bipolar disorder. We have been at the forefront of transcranial magnetic stimulation research for years and were one of the first sites to offer TMS. We’ve shown that it can be effective for treatment-resistant depression; now, we’re testing to see if it can be lifechanging for people with bipolar disorder, too.

  • Brexpiprazole for depression relapse prevention. Off-label use of non-traditional medications has the power to be surprisingly effective for treating depression. We are testing the use of brexpiprazole, an atypical antipsychotic, to see if it can help those who are not experiencing relief with just traditional antidepressant therapy.

  • Psilocybin for treatment resistant depression. We are one of a handful of sites participating in groundbreaking research on the use of synthetic psychedelics for the management of treatment resistant depression. Test subjects will be highly monitored throughout the day of administration by our specially trained staff.

  • The gut-brain axis and suicide attempts: new markers for assessment and prevention. This study aims to better understand factors that contribute to suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Specifically, we are studying markers of gastrointestinal inflammation in individuals who are hospitalized for symptoms of major depression and how these markers may be related to suicidal thoughts and behaviors.