Background
Bipolar disorder is a highly heritable psychiatric disorder characterized by episodic
elevation or depression of mood. Bipolar disorder is associated with structural and
functional brain abnormalities but it is unclear whether these are present in relatives
of affected individuals and if they are associated with subclinical symptoms or traits
associated with the disorder.
Methods
Functional magnetic resonance imaging scans were conducted on 93 unrelated relatives
of bipolar disorder patients and 70 healthy comparison subjects performing the Hayling
sentence completion paradigm. Examination of comparison subjects versus high-risk
individuals was followed by assessments of associations with depression scores and
measures of cyclothymic temperament.
Results
Examination of comparison subjects versus high-risk subjects revealed increased activation
in the high-risk group in the left amygdala. No interaction effects were observed
between the groups for scores of depression or cyclothymia and activation in any region.
Significant associations were found across the groups with depression ratings and
activation in the ventral striatum and with cyclothymia and activation in ventral
prefrontal regions, however no interaction effects were observed between the groups.
Conclusions
Differences in activation in the left amygdala in those at familial risk may represent
a heritable endophenotype of bipolar disorder. Activation in striatal and ventral
prefrontal regions may, in contrast, represent a distinct biological basis of subclinical
features of the illness regardless of the presence of familial risk.
Key Words
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: May 25, 2011
Accepted:
April 6,
2011
Received in revised form:
April 6,
2011
Received:
January 17,
2011
Identification
Copyright
© 2011 Society of Biological Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
