Background
Diffusion tensor imaging allows the study of integrity of white matter (WM) tracts.
Literature suggests that WM integrity could be altered in bipolar disorder. Heterogeneity
of brain imaging methods, the studied samples, and drug treatments make localization,
nature, and severity of the WM abnormalities unclear.
Methods
We applied tract-based spatial statistics of diffusion tensor imaging measures to
compare fractional anisotropy (FA), mean, and radial diffusivity of the WM skeleton
in a group of 40 consecutively admitted inpatients affected by a major depressive
episode without psychotic features with a diagnosis of bipolar disorder type I and
21 unrelated healthy volunteers from the general population.
Results
Compared with control subjects, patients showed lower FA in the genu of the corpus
callosum and in anterior and right superior-posterior corona radiata and higher values
of radial diffusivity in WM tracts of splenium, genu and body of corpus callosum,
right mid-dorsal part of the cingulum bundle, left anterior and bilateral superior
and posterior corona radiata, bilateral superior longitudinal fasciculus, and right
posterior thalamic radiation. Patients had no brain areas with higher FA or lower
diffusivity values than control subjects.
Conclusions
Reduced FA with increased mean and radial diffusivity suggests significant demyelination
and/or dysmyelination without axonal loss. Comparing our findings with other observations
in homogeneous samples of euthymic and manic patients, it can be hypothesized that
changes in measures of WM integrity might parallel illness phases of bipolar illness.
Key Words
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: October 08, 2010
Accepted:
July 29,
2010
Received in revised form:
July 27,
2010
Received:
March 15,
2010
Identification
Copyright
© 2011 Society of Biological Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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- Structural Trait Markers of Bipolar Disorder: Disruption of White Matter Integrity and Localized Gray Matter Abnormalities in Anterior Fronto-Limbic RegionsBiological PsychiatryVol. 69Issue 4
- PreviewKraepelinian's classification of major psychoses suggests that bipolar disorder (BD) is an illness distinct from schizophrenia. Traditionally, neuroanatomical abnormalities were considered as trait markers of schizophrenia rather than BD. Schizophrenia is associated with enlargement of ventricles; gray matter abnormalities in a number of regions including the insula, superior temporal gyrus, anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), hippocampus, and thalamus (1,2); and disrupted white matter integrity in frontosubcortical, frontotemporal, and interhemispheric tracts (3) (Bora et al.
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