Gabriele Sani1,2, Chiara Chiapponi3,4, Fabrizio Piras3,5, Elisa Ambrosi1, Alessio Simonetti1,2, Emanuela Danese1, Delfina Janiri1,2, Roberto Brugnoli1, Sergio De Filippis6, Carlo Caltagirone3,4, Paolo Girardi1,2, Gianfranco Spalletta3,7. 1. Neurosciences, Mental Health, and Sensory Organs Department (NESMOS), Sapienza University, Rome, School of Medicine and Psychology, Sant' Andrea Hospital, Italy. 2. Centro Lucio Bini, Rome, Italy. 3. Neuropsychiatry Laboratory, Department of Clinical and Behavioral Neurology, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy. 4. Department of Medicine of Systems, Tor Vergata University, Rome, Italy. 5. Enrico Fermi Center for Study and Research, Rome, Italy. 6. Villa Von Siebenthal, Genzano, Italy. 7. Division of Neuropsychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: Findings on brain structural abnormalities in patients with bipolar disorder (BP) are inconsistent and little is known about age-related evolution of these changes. We employed a cross-sectional, case-control study to compare structural age-related brain trajectories in patients with BP and healthy control subjects (HC) over a period of approximately 50 years. The primary aim was to understand whether white (WM) and gray matter (GM) abnormalities are present from the beginning of the illness and how they change over time. METHODS: Seventy-eight patients with BP and 78 HC matched for age, gender, and educational level underwent a high-resolution structural magnetic resonance imaging protocol. A voxel-based morphometry (VBM) analysis was used to capture GM and WM differences between subjects with BP and HC. Factorial analysis of covariance was used to compare brain volume alterations at different ages between the groups. RESULTS: We found an age-related atrophy in GM and WM volumes both in patients with BP and HC. A main effect of diagnosis emerged in the posterior cingulate cortex bilaterally, in the right thalamus, in the cerebellum bilaterally, and in the left posterior limb of the internal capsule. No interaction between diagnosis and age emerged, indicating that the volumes of these areas were permanently reduced in subjects with BP throughout the entire age range under investigation. CONCLUSIONS: Brain alterations in patients with BP are present from the beginning of the illness and remain stable over time. All the affected areas are involved in mood and psychomotor control process. This suggests a possible neurodevelopmental involvement in the mechanism of BP.
OBJECTIVES: Findings on brain structural abnormalities in patients with bipolar disorder (BP) are inconsistent and little is known about age-related evolution of these changes. We employed a cross-sectional, case-control study to compare structural age-related brain trajectories in patients with BP and healthy control subjects (HC) over a period of approximately 50 years. The primary aim was to understand whether white (WM) and gray matter (GM) abnormalities are present from the beginning of the illness and how they change over time. METHODS: Seventy-eight patients with BP and 78 HC matched for age, gender, and educational level underwent a high-resolution structural magnetic resonance imaging protocol. A voxel-based morphometry (VBM) analysis was used to capture GM and WM differences between subjects with BP and HC. Factorial analysis of covariance was used to compare brain volume alterations at different ages between the groups. RESULTS: We found an age-related atrophy in GM and WM volumes both in patients with BP and HC. A main effect of diagnosis emerged in the posterior cingulate cortex bilaterally, in the right thalamus, in the cerebellum bilaterally, and in the left posterior limb of the internal capsule. No interaction between diagnosis and age emerged, indicating that the volumes of these areas were permanently reduced in subjects with BP throughout the entire age range under investigation. CONCLUSIONS: Brain alterations in patients with BP are present from the beginning of the illness and remain stable over time. All the affected areas are involved in mood and psychomotor control process. This suggests a possible neurodevelopmental involvement in the mechanism of BP.
Authors: Frank Van Overwalle; Mario Manto; Zaira Cattaneo; Silvia Clausi; Chiara Ferrari; John D E Gabrieli; Xavier Guell; Elien Heleven; Michela Lupo; Qianying Ma; Marco Michelutti; Giusy Olivito; Min Pu; Laura C Rice; Jeremy D Schmahmann; Libera Siciliano; Arseny A Sokolov; Catherine J Stoodley; Kim van Dun; Larry Vandervert; Maria Leggio Journal: Cerebellum Date: 2020-12 Impact factor: 3.847
Authors: Giusy Olivito; Michela Lupo; Andrea Gragnani; Marco Saettoni; Libera Siciliano; Corinna Pancheri; Matteo Panfili; Mara Cercignani; Marco Bozzali; Roberto Delle Chiaie; Maria Leggio Journal: Cerebellum Date: 2021-08-25 Impact factor: 3.648
Authors: Michela Lupo; Giusy Olivito; Andrea Gragnani; Marco Saettoni; Libera Siciliano; Corinna Pancheri; Matteo Panfili; Marco Bozzali; Roberto Delle Chiaie; Maria Leggio Journal: Int J Mol Sci Date: 2021-03-29 Impact factor: 5.923