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.
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 disorderpatients. 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.
Authors: Hendrik Bielau; Kurt Trübner; Dieter Krell; Marcus W Agelink; Hans-Gert Bernstein; Renate Stauch; Christian Mawrin; Peter Danos; Lieselotte Gerhard; Bernhard Bogerts; Bruno Baumann Journal: Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci Date: 2005-08-17 Impact factor: 5.270
Authors: Frank P MacMaster; Matcheri Keshavan; Yousha Mirza; Normand Carrey; Ameet R Upadhyaya; Rhonda El-Sheikh; Christian J Buhagiar; S Preeya Taormina; Courtney Boyd; Michelle Lynch; Michelle Rose; Jennifer Ivey; Gregory J Moore; David R Rosenberg Journal: Life Sci Date: 2006-11-29 Impact factor: 5.037
Authors: F Romo-Nava; W S Hoogenboom; P E Pelavin; J L Alvarado; L H Bobrow; F P Macmaster; M Keshavan; R W McCarley; M E Shenton Journal: Schizophr Res Date: 2013-03-19 Impact factor: 4.939
Authors: Rano Bhadoria; David Watson; Paul Danson; Ian Nicol Ferrier; Victor I McAllister; Peter Brian Moore Journal: Indian J Psychiatry Date: 2003-07 Impact factor: 1.759