Choline-containing compounds detected by proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy in the basal ganglia in bipolar disorder.
Choline-containing compounds (Cho) were examined by proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) in the left subcortical region, including basal ganglia, in 19 euthymic patients with bipolar disorder and 19 age-matched normal controls. Ten of the patients were treated with lithium; the remaining 9 were not treated with lithium for at least 30 d. The Cho to creatine + phosphocreatine (Cr) peak ratio in the bipolar patients (0.75 +/- 0.38 [mean +/- SD]) was higher than that in the normal controls (0.52 +/- 0.26, P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the Cho:Cr peak ratio between patients treated with lithium (0.63 +/- 0.36) and without lithium (0.89 +/- 0.35). These results do not support the hypothesis that lithium increases the brain choline-containing compounds, but rather imply that membrane breakdown may occur in the basal ganglia of patients with bipolar disorder.
Kato
T
T
Department of Psychiatry, Shiga University of Medical Science, Japan.
Hamakawa
H
H
Shioiri
T
T
Murashita
J
J
Takahashi
Y
Y
Takahashi
S
S
Inubushi
T
T
D000328:Adult; D018692:Antimanic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001479:Basal Ganglia / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D002794:Choline / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018021:Lithium Chloride / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008297:Male
D018692:Antimanic Agents; D018021:Lithium Chloride; D002794:Choline