What the trial was testing
The RESTORE enrolled 112 patients with bipolar disorder. The study was sponsored by Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins and tracked outcomes across the full group of patients who matched the trial's eligibility profile.
It was initial testing (phase 2). Trials at this stage are designed to produce evidence regulators and physicians can act on — not just observations to follow up later.
What the results showed
52% of men responded when they restarted enzalutamide after testosterone cycling.
The Lancet. Oncology · 2018 · NCT02090114
These findings — that responded when they restarted enzalutamide after testosterone cycling — were published in the The Lancet. Oncology and represent the headline result of the study.
Researchers tracked outcomes across 112 patients enrolled in the trial. The result was consistent enough across the group that the team felt confident reporting it.
What this means for patients
For patients with bipolar disorder, this result changes the calculus on what to ask their care team about. Whether it changes day-to-day care depends on factors like disease subtype, prior treatments, and where the patient is in their care journey.
What you can do now
This was an initial testing study and bipolar androgen therapy is not yet FDA-approved. The study showed promise for men whose cancer stopped responding to enzalutamide, but larger studies are needed. If you have metastatic prostate cancer that's progressed on enzalutamide, ask your oncologist about clinical trials testing this testosterone cycling approach or other available treatment options.
Eligibility for the treatments mentioned above depends on specific test results and clinical history. Bring this summary, the trial name, and your most recent labs or pathology report to your next visit.
Open bipolar disorder trials
BioClock: Bright Light Therapy for Depressive Disorders
Bright Light Therapy (BLT) is a proven treatment for depression in seasonal and non-seasonal depressive disorders, as well as bipolar disorder. To make BLT more effective and practical in clinical settings and tailor it to individual needs, it is necessary to optimize the treatment approach, understand how the treatment works, and identify patient characteristics that predict response. This clinical trial has three main goals: * Optimize the administration of BLT for patients with depressive episodes. * Gain a deeper understanding of the treatment mechanisms. * Determine which patients benefit the most from the treatment. The specific objectives are as follows: * Investigate whether additional treatments and interventions related to lifestyle and the biological clock can enhance the effects of BLT. * Examine how BLT influences the body's internal clock and sleep quality, and how these factors contribute to the outcomes. * Identify patient characteristics and behaviours that can predict treatment outcomes. * Develop a brain model to better understand the impact of BLT on the brain. In this study, patients will receive BLT with a light intensity of 10,000 lux for 30 minutes each morning over 5 consecutive days. The treatment duration will range from one to three weeks, depending on the improvement of depressive symptoms. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of three groups: * Home - Patients will receive BLT at home, following the standard guidelines for light therapy in the Netherlands. * LightCafé, fixed time: Patients will receive BLT in a café-like setting called the LightCafé, where the focus is not only on symptom improvement but also lifestyle enhancements and fostering social connections. The treatment time will be the same every day. * LightCafé, varying time: Patients will also receive BLT at the LightCafé, with treatment timing varying each day. Additionally, this group will wear glasses in the evening that filter blue light. The study includes a baseline phase of up to two weeks, a treatment phase of up to three weeks, and a three-month follow-up phase. Patients will wear a motion watch to assess sleep-wake behaviour and physical activity during the day. Additionally, they will wear a broach that measures their personal light exposure throughout the day. Eight one-minute questionnaires per day will be sent to the participants' smartphones to assess vitality, sleep, and mood during the treatment. Predictors of treatment response, such as clinical characteristics, sleep measures, circadian parameters, and light-related behaviours, will be evaluated at baseline. In a small group of patients, salivary melatonin curves will be assessed before and after treatment. MRI scans will provide insights into functional and structural brain changes following light therapy treatment.
EEG Microstate and Neuroinflammatory Biomarkers in Older Age Patients With Major Depressive Disorder Receiving ECT
This study aims to investigate the neurophysiological and inflammatory changes associated with electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in older age patients diagnosed with Major Depressive Episode, Major Depression, and Bipolar Disorder, using microstate analysis derived from resting-state electroencephalography (EEG) recordings. Within this scope, EEG recordings obtained before and after ECT will be compared to determine the relationships between changes in microstate parameters and inflammatory marker levels, clinical variables, and psychometric scale scores reflecting clinical improvement. Peripheral blood samples collected from the same patient group will be analyzed for complete blood count parameters as well as levels of interleukin-1 alpha (IL-1α), interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), interleukin-2 (IL-2), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-8 (IL-8), interleukin-10 (IL-10), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), soluble glycoprotein 130 (sgp-130), soluble interleukin-6 receptor (sIL-6R), interferon gamma-induced protein 10 kDa (IP-10), and C-reactive protein (CRP). In addition, inflammatory indices, including the Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR), Platelet-to-Lymphocyte Ratio (PLR), and Monocyte-to-Lymphocyte Ratio (MLR), will be calculated. The association between baseline levels of these biomarkers and treatment response will be evaluated. Moreover, changes in biomarker levels following ECT will be statistically examined in relation to clinical scale scores and EEG microstate parameters. Although microstate analysis and inflammatory biomarkers have each been extensively investigated in psychiatric disorders, studies evaluating these two biomarkers together, particularly with the inclusion of healthy control participants, in the older age population remain limited. In this regard, the present study aims to evaluate the effects of ECT on older age patients using objective neurophysiological indicators, contribute to the understanding of the pathophysiology of depression at the level of brain networks, and provide a scientific basis for the development of personalised treatment approaches in the future.