title: Increased amygdala activation during mania: a functional magnetic resonance imaging study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study sought to investigate neural activity in the amygdala during episodes of mania.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nine manic subjects and nine healthy comparison subjects underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) while performing a neuropsychological paradigm known to activate the amygdala. Subjects viewed faces displaying affect (experimental task) and geometric forms (control task) and matched them to one of two simultaneously presented similar images.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Manic subjects had significantly increased activation in the left amygdala and reduced bilateral activation in the lateral orbitofrontal cortex relative to the comparison subjects.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Increased activation in the amygdala and decreased activation in the orbitofrontal cortex may represent disruption of a specific neuroanatomic circuit involved in mania. These brain regions may be implicated in disorders involving regulation of affect.
authors.affiliation: UCLA Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Los Angeles, CA 90095-7057, USA. laltshuler@mednet.ucla.edu
authors.forename: Lori
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Altshuler
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bookheimer
authors.forename: Manuel A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Proenza
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Townsend
authors.forename: Fred
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sabb
authors.forename: Ann
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Firestine
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bartzokis
authors.forename: Jim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mintz
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mazziotta
authors.forename: Mark S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Cohen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect / Q000502:physiology; D000679:Amygdala / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D005149:Facial Expression; D005260:Female; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000503:physiopathology; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000503:physiopathology; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology*; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology