Bipolar Disorder Mood Disorders Research Annual Newsletter 2016/17 BDRResearchN Network Photograph taken by Professor Nick Craddock Welcome to the 2016/17 edition storyline, and Clare Dolman of relationship between mood of the annual Mood Disorders Bipolar UK updates you about that disorders, sleep and other aspects Research Newsletter. on page 11. of physical and mental ill-health. It has been another busy and As always, we want to say a really We continue to welcome many productive year for BDRN. You will big THANK YOU to our research new participants to BDRN, so if you find updates about some of our supporters, particularly to those know anyone with a mood disorder recent research findings on page who continue to give up their time who hasn’t taken part before let 2, including groundbreaking work and effort to participate in our them know about our work – we we are doing with other mood studies - without your help the would love to hear from them. We disorders research groups from research just could not happen. are offering our mood-monitoring around the world. You will read on system True Colours (see page 8) page 8 about some of the ways we We’ve included a new set of to all our participants so if you have been working hard to spread questionnaires with this newsletter haven’t signed up yet and you the word about the importance of and we would be very grateful if would like to try it let us know. research into mood disorders. our participants would complete them and send them back in the We hope you enjoy this newsletter, We were delighted to provide pre-paid envelope. In particular, and from all of us in BDRN we wish expert advice to BBC EastEnders this information will help us you all the very best for the new about their postpartum psychosis to understand more about the year ahead. The Mood Disorders Research Teams Cardiff University Professor Nick Craddock, Professor Ian Jones, Dr Liz Forty, Christine Fraser, Katie Lewis, Holly Pearce, Rebecca Lynch University of Worcester Professor Lisa Jones, Dr Katherine Gordon-Smith, Sarah Knott, Amy Perry, Lizzie Ludlow www.bdrn.org Some of our latest research findings Our research has led to a studies were also used to was associated with having number of publications over the investigate whether there is an experienced specific traumas in past year. These studies have all association between rare CNVs childhood, which may open new contributed to our knowledge of and major depression. We did avenues in clinical interventions. the genetic and environmental not find an association in the (Journal of Affective Disorders; causes and triggers of mood sample as a whole although 2016 volume 190, pages 764- disorders and will be important these rare genetic variants may 771). in determining the direction of play an important role for a future research in the field. minority of people who have We conducted the first study unipolar depression. (Biological looking at whether trauma in In a large collaborative genetic Psychiatry; 2016 volume 79, childhood might increase risk study with researchers in the pages 329-36). for postpartum psychosis in United States we have found adulthood. Unlike in postpartum that variations in DNA called Many readers of this newsletter depression, we found that rare copy number variants will have completed a childhood trauma does not (CNVs) are likely to play a role in questionnaire asking about play an important role in susceptibility to bipolar disorder mood instability, analysing the the triggering of postpartum in some individuals (Molecular questionnaire scores we found psychosis suggesting biological Psychiatry; 2016 volume 21, rates of mood instability to factors are more important pages 89-93). be particularly high in bipolar (Journal of Affective Disorders; disorder compared to major 2016 volume 205, pages 69-72). Data collected for the depression. Among individuals Depression Case Control (DeCC) with bipolar I disorder, greater and Depression Network (DeNT) mood instability in adulthood Papers have been published in Biological Psychiatry (2016 volume 79, pages 329-36), Journal of Affective Disorders (2016 volume 190, pages 764-771 and 2016 volume 205, pages 69-72) and Molecular Psychiatry (2016 volume 21, pages 89-93) 2 BDRN at the University of Worcester Many of you hopefully received we’ve got our fingers crossed), Management Group, said “I a letter from us earlier in the and mental health is one of the am absolutely delighted. The year letting you know that our University of Worcester’s main University of Worcester is Mood Disorders Research Group research priorities. providing superb support for based in Birmingham has moved Professor Lisa Jones and her to the University of Worcester. Professor Lisa Jones, who leads team. I have no doubt that this the group in Worcester, said will make the collaboration with For many years BDRN has been “The University of Worcester has Professor Ian Jones and his team a close collaboration between given us such a warm welcome. in Cardiff even more effective. members of the team based The University provides a This is great news for BDRN, our at Cardiff University and the wonderful environment for research and our participants.” University of Birmingham. The work of BDRN continues exactly as before, with the teams at Professor David Green, Vice Cardiff and now Worcester Chancellor and Chief Executive working closely together. of the University of Worcester, said “We are delighted to Members of BDRN who are welcome BDRN to the University now based at the University of of Worcester and look forward Worcester are Professor Lisa to this important research into Jones, Dr Katherine Gordon- the causes of mood disorders Smith, Sarah Knott, and Amy continuing to grow and make a Perry, and we are delighted to Professor Lisa Jones difference to people’s lives.” introduce you to a new member of the team in Worcester, Lizzie BDRN to continue to thrive. We Ludlow (you can find out more were particularly attracted by the about Lizzie on page 7). University’s clear commitment to mental health research.” We are all thrilled about the move. The University of Professor Ian Jones, who leads Worcester is an ambitious the group in Cardiff, said “With young university which has this exciting development and recently been shortlisted for the the ongoing support of all our prestigious annual University participants, I’m sure BDRN will of the Year award by the Times go from strength to strength.” Professor David Green Higher Education (the winner has not yet been announced so Professor Nick Craddock, BDRN www.bdrn.org In our last newsletter we told you about a new and innovative online mood monitoring system called True Colours that is now available to all our research participants. True Colours is an easy-to-use online technology that enables individuals to monitor their mood in an active and ongoing An example of a graph produced by True Colours way. night how many hours sleep did research. The system works by sending I get?’ email prompts asking individuals Everyone’s experience of mood to answer simple questions Over 800 BDRN participants disorder is different, so the more about their mood that take have already started using True people who help us the better no longer than 5 minutes to Colours and we have received we will be able to understand complete. It really is very simple lots of positive feedback, but we the complex patterns of mood to use and if you have any would like as many participants disorders over time. problems using the system we as possible to use the system are always here to help. as we are hoping to get the We have recently presented experiences of at least 2000 some initial data on True Colours Answers are converted into a individuals. at the 18th Annual Conference graph that can be printed off, of the International Society and over time will show changes Even if individuals are currently for Bipolar Disorders with our and/or patterns in mood that very well, we would like them colleagues from the University may be helpful. to consider joining True Colours of Oxford (see page 8). We will as information about even update you more on our findings It is hoped the system will help minor fluctuations in mood is in our next newsletter. us learn more about how mood extremely important for our symptoms change over time in individuals with mood disorders and how they are affected by changes in routines such as sleep. Within True Colours there is also the opportunity to create up to 10 weekly and 10 daily personalised questions. These allow you to monitor things that are important for you, such as key mood symptoms, Dr Kate Saunders (left) from University of Oxford with Dr Katherine early warning signs or mood- Gordon-Smith and Dr Liz Forty at the International Society for Bipolar monitoring techniques e.g. ‘Last Disorders Conference 4 We have received some great feedback from our current True Colours participants. Here is what a few of them had to say about the system... “ “ I like being able to see the graphs and I find it so helpful to look back over six the patterns, and the contrasts with or twelve months and see the mood “ both feeling well, and unwell and “ swings so clearly and it’s very helpful depressed for my CPN too The True Colours system is brilliant. I True Colours is quick, simple and “ answer the questions weekly, without allows me to spot triggers. It takes fail, and find it useful to be thinking “ “ me less than 5 minutes to do the “ about the questions, how my replies weekly questionnaire and this is vary with my mood, and realising how about right much better I feel sometimes I’m not bipolar but can recognise even the smallest of differences in my I participated because I had considered responses week to week which gives me other mood monitoring tools and this “ insight into my progress.