BACKGROUND: It is challenging for bipolar disorder (BD) studies to capture multiple mood states within a participant at in-person visits. Mood tracking could aid scheduling, but evaluation is usually done using clinical assessments inconvenient for participants to undergo often. However, frequent assessments are necessary to capture dynamic mood changes typical of BD. The Aktibipo Self-Rating Questionnaire (ASERT) is a simple, self-report mood survey. We examined the utility of collecting the ASERT weekly to assess mood changes and schedule follow-up visits. METHODS: Sixty-one participants with BD completed the ASERT and were administered the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) and Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS) during a baseline visit. Participants were then sent weekly text messages with an ASERT survey link. If participants exhibited at least a 5-point (later 8-point) change from baseline on either the mania or depression subscale, they were called and administered the MADRS or YMRS. A 10-point change on either phone-delivered clinical scale prompted a follow-up visit. Associations between ASERT subscales and clinical scales were evaluated using Spearman's correlation and robust regression. RESULTS: Mean completion rate was 94.8 % and median completion time was 67 s. The ASERT depression and mania subscales correlated with the MADRS and YMRS at baseline and all follow-up time points. Our screening method aided scheduling, with 15 of 19 participants exhibiting a 10-point change or greater on the MADRS and/or YMRS at Visit 2. CONCLUSIONS: The ASERT can be feasibly deployed to track mood and can help schedule follow-up assessments in BD longitudinal studies.

Carver College of Medicine The University of Iowa United States

Department of Biomedical Engineering The University of Iowa IA United States

Department of Biostatistics University of Iowa IA United States

Department of Cybernetics Faculty of Electrical Engineering Czech Technical University Prague Prague Czech Republic

Department of Epidemiology The University of Iowa United States

Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics The University of Iowa IA United States

Department of Neurosurgery The University of Iowa IA United States

Department of Psychiatry The University of Iowa United States

Department of Psychiatry University of Ottawa Ontario Canada

Department of Radiology The University of Iowa United States

Iowa Neuroscience Institute The University of Iowa United States

Mindpax s r o Prague Czech Republic

National Institute of Mental Health Klecany Czech Republic

Ottawa Hospital Research Institute Ontario Canada

School of Epidemiology and Public Health University of Ottawa Ontario Canada

Veterans Affairs Medical Center Iowa City IA United States

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