Luciano Minuzzi1,2,3,4, Sabrina K Syan2,4, Mara Smith1, Alexander Hall4, Geoffrey Bc Hall2,5, Benicio N Frey1,2,3,4. 1. 1 Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada. 2. 2 MiNDS Neuroscience Graduate Program, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada. 3. 3 Mood Disorders Program, St Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, Hamilton, ON, Canada. 4. 4 Women's Health Concerns Clinic, St Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, Hamilton, ON, Canada. 5. 5 Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Current evidence from neuroimaging data suggests possible dysfunction of the fronto-striatal-limbic circuits in individuals with bipolar disorder. Somatosensory cortical function has been implicated in emotional recognition, risk-taking and affective responses through sensory modalities. This study investigates anatomy and function of the somatosensory cortex in euthymic bipolar women. METHODS: In total, 68 right-handed euthymic women (bipolar disorder = 32 and healthy controls = 36) between 16 and 45 years of age underwent high-resolution anatomical and functional magnetic resonance imaging during the mid-follicular menstrual phase. The somatosensory cortex was used as a seed region for resting-state functional connectivity analysis. Voxel-based morphometry was used to evaluate somatosensory cortical gray matter volume between groups. RESULTS: We found increased resting-state functional connectivity between the somatosensory cortex and insular cortex, inferior prefrontal gyrus and frontal orbital cortex in euthymic bipolar disorder subjects compared to healthy controls. Voxel-based morphometry analysis showed decreased gray matter in the left somatosensory cortex in the bipolar disorder group. Whole-brain voxel-based morphometry analysis controlled by age did not reveal any additional significant difference between groups. CONCLUSION: This study is the first to date to evaluate anatomy and function of the somatosensory cortex in a well-characterized sample of euthymic bipolar disorder females. Anatomical and functional changes in the somatosensory cortex in this population might contribute to the pathophysiology of bipolar disorder.
OBJECTIVE: Current evidence from neuroimaging data suggests possible dysfunction of the fronto-striatal-limbic circuits in individuals with bipolar disorder. Somatosensory cortical function has been implicated in emotional recognition, risk-taking and affective responses through sensory modalities. This study investigates anatomy and function of the somatosensory cortex in euthymic bipolar women. METHODS: In total, 68 right-handed euthymic women (bipolar disorder = 32 and healthy controls = 36) between 16 and 45 years of age underwent high-resolution anatomical and functional magnetic resonance imaging during the mid-follicular menstrual phase. The somatosensory cortex was used as a seed region for resting-state functional connectivity analysis. Voxel-based morphometry was used to evaluate somatosensory cortical gray matter volume between groups. RESULTS: We found increased resting-state functional connectivity between the somatosensory cortex and insular cortex, inferior prefrontal gyrus and frontal orbital cortex in euthymic bipolar disorder subjects compared to healthy controls. Voxel-based morphometry analysis showed decreased gray matter in the left somatosensory cortex in the bipolar disorder group. Whole-brain voxel-based morphometry analysis controlled by age did not reveal any additional significant difference between groups. CONCLUSION: This study is the first to date to evaluate anatomy and function of the somatosensory cortex in a well-characterized sample of euthymic bipolar disorder females. Anatomical and functional changes in the somatosensory cortex in this population might contribute to the pathophysiology of bipolar disorder.
Authors: Michele A Bertocci; Jeffrey Bergman; Joao Paulo Lima Santos; Satish Iyengar; Lisa Bonar; Mary Kay Gill; Halimah Abdul-Waalee; Genna Bebko; Richelle Stiffler; Jeanette Lockovich; Haris Aslam; Cecile Ladouceur; John Merranko; Rasim Diler; Boris Birmaher; Amelia Versace; Mary L Phillips Journal: Transl Psychiatry Date: 2020-11-02 Impact factor: 6.222