Abnormal frontal white matter tracts in bipolar disorder: a diffusion tensor imaging study.
OBJECTIVE
Prefrontal white matter has been hypothesized to be integral to the pathophysiology of bipolar disorder. Recent morphometric studies however, have not observed changes in white matter in bipolar patients. We hypothesized that changes in prefrontal function in bipolar disorder, widely reported in the literature, may be related to a loss of white matter tract integrity with a resultant dysconnectivity syndrome. In this study we utilized diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to examine prefrontal white matter in patients with bipolar disorder.


METHODS
Nine patients with bipolar disorder and nine healthy controls were recruited. DTI and localizing anatomic data were acquired, and regions of interest (ROIs) identified in the prefrontal white matter at 15, 20, 25, and 30 mm superior to the anterior commissure (AC). Fractional anisotropy (FA) and trace apparent diffusion coefficient (TADC) were compared by ROI between study groups.


RESULTS
The FA of ROIs 25 and 30 mm above the AC was significantly reduced in patients with bipolar disorder; FA of all ROIs showed high-medium to large effect sizes. No significant group differences were identified in TADC.


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings suggest that a loss of bundle coherence is present in prefrontal white matter. This loss of coherence may contribute to prefrontal cortical pathology in patients with bipolar disorder.
Adler
Caleb M
CM
Bipolar and Psychotic Disorders Research Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, OH 45267-0559, USA. cal.adler@psychiatry.uc.edu
Holland
Scott K
SK
Schmithorst
Vince
V
Wilke
Marko
M
Weiss
Kenneth L
KL
Pan
Hai
H
Strakowski
Stephen M
SM
D000328:Adult; D016880:Anisotropy; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000295:instrumentation*; D017352:Echo-Planar Imaging / Q000295:instrumentation*; D006801:Humans; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index