Research Get involved ASCEnD ASCEnD – Newcastle University Currently recruiting people over the age of 18 and who currently have bipolar, or are in a depressive episode. If you aren’t sure if you are eligible, fill out the Mood Disorder Questionnaire. If you get “you may have bipolar” you may be eligible for the study. The ASCEnD trial have a website with all the information you need: Get involved Study Overview Very little is known about using antidepressants in patients living with bipolar depression. Antidepressants can be very effective in people with depression and can also be prescribed by a GP. In this study, we will use a combination of an antidepressant (sertraline) and an antipsychotic (aripiprazole) and compare this combination with an antipsychotic medication called quetiapine. Quetiapine is a common treatment for people experiencing depression in bipolar disorder. All three medications are already used in the NHS, but we want to find out if using a sertraline/aripiprazole combination will be beneficial in reducing depressive symptoms in people with bipolar disorder. To do this, we are looking for 270 patients with bipolar who are currently experiencing a depressive phase from across the England to take part in the study. Half of the patients in the trial, who will be chosen at random, will be offered the drug combination (aripiprazole and sertraline) and the other half will be offered quetiapine. You and your doctors will know exactly what medication you are prescribed. All of these drugs are already commonly used in the NHS, and their safety is well known. Quetiapine is currently the most used treatment for depression in bipolar. We know that aripiprazole combined with an antidepressant drug like sertraline works well in people who are depressed but don’t have bipolar. This trial will confirm whether or not it also works in people who are depressed and do have bipolar. Who can apply and where: Have bipolar Are currently experiencing depression Are over the age of 18 Not currently pregnant or breastfeeding or planning to become pregnant during the trial This study is being run with the support of the NHS and the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), working in partnership with Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust and Newcastle University. The study is taking part across 10 Mental Health Trusts in England: Birmingham & Solihull Mental Health Foundation Trust; Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust; Avon & Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership Trust; Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust; Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust; Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Trust; Nottinghamshire Healthcare Trust; Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust; Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust; Tees, Esk & Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust. For more information, please visit the study website: Sites — The ASCEnD Trial Time and payment: You will take part in the trial for 24 weeks. Taking part will involve 1 or 2 face-to-face appointments (most likely 1), which will include: Discussing the trial with a trial doctor who will answer any questions you may have before you decide whether or not to take part. If you decide to take part you’ll be asked to sign a consent form. Confirming if you are eligible to take part. This will include completing some questionnaires, and discussing your medical history and medication. You can enter the trial if you and your doctor think that quetiapine or the drug combination would be equally good choices as the next step in your treatment. In the trial, you will be randomly selected by a computer to start one treatment or the other. If the treatment suits you and seems to be working then you will be able to continue it. If it isn’t, then you don’t need to, and you and your doctor can change to something else. During the trial, you will be asked to complete a number of questionnaires on a weekly basis. This will be done electronically(or over the phone), and you will receive a weekly phone call from a member of the research team for support. You will be given up to £50, as a thank you for giving your time for the trial. You may be also reimbursed for reasonable travel costs during your participation. I’m interested, how do I take part? There are two paths to taking part. These can be found on the ASCEnD trial website. You can either take part through Research+Me. The team are working in collaboration with Research+Me, which is a registry for people who want to find out about opportunities to take part in research. If you register with Research+Me, you will be prompted to fill in registration forms which will help us to understand whether you might be eligible. When your nearest site is open and ready to accept more participants, you will receive an email with information about the next steps. Or you can self-refer. Trial sites that will accept self-referrals will be put on the trial website here. Last updated: 15 May 2024 Manage Cookie Preferences