OBJECTIVE: Previous diffusion tensor imaging findings have supported suggestions that bipolar disorder is characterized by subtle white matter changes. The chronic nature of the study population, however, has limited interpretation of these findings. In this study the authors utilized diffusion tensor imaging to study white matter tracts of adolescents in their first episode of mania to address whether abnormalities are present in early bipolar disorder. METHOD: Eleven medication-naive adolescents in their first episode of mania and 17 healthy subjects underwent diffusion tensor imaging scans. Fractional anisotropy and trace apparent diffusion coefficients of prefrontal and posterior regions of interest were compared between groups. RESULTS: Bipolar adolescents showed significantly decreased fractional anisotropy only in superior-frontal white matter tracts. Trace apparent diffusion coefficients did not significantly differ in any regions examined. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that prefrontal white matter abnormalities are present early in bipolar disorder and may consist largely of axonal disorganization. The presence of changes in young first-episode patients also suggests that white matter pathology may represent an early marker of bipolar disorder.
OBJECTIVE: Previous diffusion tensor imaging findings have supported suggestions that bipolar disorder is characterized by subtle white matter changes. The chronic nature of the study population, however, has limited interpretation of these findings. In this study the authors utilized diffusion tensor imaging to study white matter tracts of adolescents in their first episode of mania to address whether abnormalities are present in early bipolar disorder. METHOD: Eleven medication-naive adolescents in their first episode of mania and 17 healthy subjects underwent diffusion tensor imaging scans. Fractional anisotropy and trace apparent diffusion coefficients of prefrontal and posterior regions of interest were compared between groups. RESULTS: Bipolar adolescents showed significantly decreased fractional anisotropy only in superior-frontal white matter tracts. Trace apparent diffusion coefficients did not significantly differ in any regions examined. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that prefrontal white matter abnormalities are present early in bipolar disorder and may consist largely of axonal disorganization. The presence of changes in young first-episode patients also suggests that white matter pathology may represent an early marker of bipolar disorder.
Authors: Amelia Versace; Cecile D Ladouceur; Soledad Romero; Boris Birmaher; David A Axelson; David J Kupfer; Mary L Phillips Journal: J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry Date: 2010-10-29 Impact factor: 8.829
Authors: E Serap Monkul; Koji Matsuo; Mark A Nicoletti; Nicole Dierschke; John P Hatch; Manish Dalwani; Paolo Brambilla; Sheila Caetano; Roberto B Sassi; Allan G Mallinger; Jair C Soares Journal: Neurosci Lett Date: 2007-10-10 Impact factor: 3.046
Authors: Fei Wang; Marcel Jackowski; Jessica H Kalmar; Lara G Chepenik; Karen Tie; Maolin Qiu; Gaolang Gong; Brian P Pittman; Monique M Jones; Maulik P Shah; Linda Spencer; Xenophon Papademetris; R Todd Constable; Hilary P Blumberg Journal: Br J Psychiatry Date: 2008-08 Impact factor: 9.319