Learn about the design of a trail-blazing Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) that will explore the physiology and biology of brain energy metabolism, while also informing clinical applications of ketogenic therapy as an adjunctive treatment option for patients with bipolar and schizophrenia spectrum disorders. RCTs are considered the gold standard when looking at the efficacy and safety of new treatment options. This type of research is necessary to understand whether ketogenic therapy should be offered as a first-line treatment option, as well as what types of strategies could increase accessibility of this intervention in the future. Dr. Bret Scher interviews principal investigators Dost Öngür, MD, PhD, and Dr. Virginie-Anne Chouinard, MD, about the details of this trial at McLean Hospital, a top-rated, Harvard-affiliated psychiatric hospital.

Learn more about the impressive design of this trial which includes a multidisciplinary approach to clinical care, gathering a variety of data to inform understanding of underlying brain energy mechanisms (including MRIs and metabolic markers), and an “open-label” approach that will allow the control group to opt into ketogenic therapy at the end of the first trial phase if desired.

Dr. Dost Öngür
William P. and Henry B. Test Professor of Psychiatry, Chief of the Division of Psychotic Disorders, & Director of the Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder Research Program at McLean Hospital
https://www.mcleanhospital.org/profil...

Dr. Virginie-Anne Chouinard,
Staff psychiatrist and Director of Research at McLean OnTrack™ & Instructor in Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.
https://www.mcleanhospital.org/profil...

Press release about the trial:
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-relea...

For information on enrolling:
https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT0...

Follow our channel for more information and education from Bret Scher, MD, FACC, including interviews with leading experts in Metabolic Psychiatry.

Learn more about metabolic psychiatry and find helpful resources at https://metabolicmind.org/

About us:
Metabolic Mind is a non-profit initiative of Baszucki Group working to transform the study and treatment of mental disorders by exploring the connection between metabolism and brain health. We leverage the science of metabolic psychiatry and personal stories to offer education, community, and hope to people struggling with mental health challenges and those who care for them.

Our channel is for informational purposes only. We are not providing individual or group medical or healthcare advice nor establishing a provider-patient relationship. Many of the interventions we discuss can have dramatic or potentially dangerous effects if done without proper supervision. Consult your healthcare provider before changing your lifestyle or medications.

Timestamps
0:00 Introduction
2:03 Interest leading up to a keto for bipolar study
5:36 Brain energy metabolism and bipolar
7:44 Patient population for the new Harvard study
8:46 About the study
9:21 Dietary studies vs pharmacologic studies
11:55 The different interventions in the keto for bipolar study
14:42 What researchers will be looking at during the clinical trial
17:20 Balancing mechanism and clinical impact in research
19:21 Impact of the clinical trial
21:54 Working with a clinician for ketogenic therapy
25:30 Conclusion

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