Abstract
Background: Neuroendocrinologic investigations in bipolar disorder have suggested
abnormalities in pituitary function. However, few imaging studies have evaluated possible
anatomical differences in this brain structure in mood disorder patients. Our aim
was to examine potential abnormalities in pituitary volume in patients with bipolar
and in a comparison group of patients with unipolar disorder.
Methods: We measured the volumes of the pituitary gland in 23 patients with bipolar
disorder (mean ± s.d. = 34.3 ± 9.9 years) and 13 patients with unipolar disorder (41.2
± 9.6 years), and 34 healthy control subjects (36.6 ± 9.6 years) using 1.5 mm thick
T1-weighted coronal 1.5 T MRI images. All measurements were done blindly by a trained
rater.
Results: Patients with bipolar disorder had significantly smaller pituitary volumes
than healthy control subjects (mean volume ± s.d. = 0.55 ± 0.15 ml and 0.68 ± 0.20
ml, respectively; ANCOVA, F = 8.66, p = 0.005), and than patients with unipolar disorder (0.70 ± 0.12 ml, F = 5.98, p = 0.02). No differences were found between patients with unipolar disorder and healthy
control subjects (F = 0.01, p = 0.91).
Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the first study that reports smaller pituitary
volumes in bipolar disorder. Our findings suggest that detectable abnormalities in
pituitary size are present in patients with bipolar disorder, which may reflect a
dysfunctional HPA axis.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Accepted:
January 4,
2001
Received in revised form:
January 2,
2001
Received:
October 20,
2000
Identification
Copyright
© 2001 Society of Biological Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
