title: Magnetic resonance imaging study of corpus callosum abnormalities in patients with bipolar disorder.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study was conducted to further examine the hypothesis of abnormalities in size of corpus callosum in subjects with bipolar disorder.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixteen right-handed DSM-IV bipolar I patients and 27 right-handed healthy control subjects were studied. A 1.5-T GE Signa magnet was used, and three-dimensional gradient echo imaging (spoiled gradient recall acquisition) was conducted. Area measurements of corpus callosum were obtained blindly, with a semi-automated software, by a well-trained rater.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Right-handed bipolar I patients had significantly smaller total corpus callosum, genu, posterior body, and isthmus areas compared with right-handed healthy control subjects (analysis of covariance with age, gender, and intracranial volume as covariates, p <.05). Partial correlation analyses, controlled for intracranial volumes, found a significant inverse relationship between age and total callosal, genu, anterior body, isthmus, and circularity in healthy control subjects (p <.05) but not in bipolar patients (p >.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Smaller callosal areas may lead to altered inter-hemispheric communication and be involved in the pathophysiology and cognitive impairment found in bipolar disorder.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Brambilla
authors.forename: Mark A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Nicoletti
authors.forename: Roberto B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Sassi
authors.forename: Alan G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Mallinger
authors.forename: Ellen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Frank
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Kupfer
authors.forename: Matcheri S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Keshavan
authors.forename: Jair C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Soares
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003337:Corpus Callosum / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male