It begins in the quiet — a moment between thoughts, between moods. Then, without warning, the storm arrives.
For millions living with bipolar disorder, the brain becomes a battlefield of extremes: manic highs, depressive lows, and the unpredictable transitions in between. But what if we could trace those shifts to their source? What if the brain’s circuitry held the key?
At Mount Sinai’s Human Neurophysiology Lab, that question is no longer theoretical. It’s being answered — one neuron at a time.
🧠 A $4.5 Million Mission
In late 2025, Mount Sinai received a $4.5 million grant from BD²: Breakthrough Discoveries for Thriving with Bipolar Disorder. The goal? To map the neural mechanisms that drive mood transitions and develop neuromodulation-based therapies that target the root, not just the symptoms.
Led by Dr. Ignacio Saez, the team is using advanced brain recording techniques to observe how different regions of the brain communicate during manic and depressive episodes. It’s not just about where activity happens — it’s about how signals flow, and why they change.
🔬 Listening to the Brain’s Language
Using intracranial recordings and real-time data analysis, researchers are identifying patterns that precede mood shifts. These patterns aren’t random. They’re predictive, like tremors before an earthquake.
The hope is to develop interventions — electrical, chemical, or behavioral — that can interrupt harmful circuits before they spiral. Imagine a future where a person feels a manic episode coming on, and a wearable device gently nudges their brain back into balance.
Bipolar disorder affects over 40 million people worldwide. It’s often misunderstood, misdiagnosed, and mistreated. But this research reframes it — not as a mystery, but as a circuit-level condition that can be decoded and addressed.
Fewer relapses
More personalized treatments
Better quality of life
And beyond bipolar, this work could inform therapies for depression, anxiety, PTSD — any condition rooted in dysregulated brain networks.
The journey is just beginning. Mapping the brain is like charting a galaxy — vast, complex, and full of surprises. But with each discovery, the fog lifts.
We’re learning that the brain doesn’t just react. It predicts. It prepares. And with the right tools, we can help it heal.