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. 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: 26 March 2024 Manage Cookie Preferences