title: Changes in brain activation during working memory and facial recognition tasks in patients with bipolar disorder with Lamotrigine monotherapy.
abstract: Verbal working memory and emotional self-regulation are impaired in Bipolar Disorder (BD). Our aim was to investigate the effect of Lamotrigine (LTG), which is effective in the clinical management of BD, on the neural circuits subserving working memory and emotional processing. Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging data from 12 stable BD patients was used to detect LTG-induced changes as the differences in brain activity between drug-free and post-LTG monotherapy conditions during a verbal working memory (N-back sequential letter task) and an angry facial affect recognition task. For both tasks, LGT monotherapy compared to baseline was associated with increased activation mostly within the prefrontal cortex and cingulate gyrus, in regions normally engaged in verbal working memory and emotional processing. Therefore, LTG monotherapy in BD patients may enhance cortical function within neural circuits involved in memory and emotional self-regulation.
authors.affiliation: Section of Neurobiology of Psychosis, Institute of Psychiatry, PO66 De Crespigny Park London SE5 8AF, UK.
authors.forename: Morgan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Haldane
authors.forename: Jigar
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jogia
authors.forename: Annabel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cobb
authors.forename: Eliza
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kozuch
authors.forename: Veena
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kumari
authors.forename: Sophia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Frangou
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect; D000786:Anger / Q000502:physiology; D018692:Antimanic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology*; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology; D005145:Face; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D000077213:Lamotrigine; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000187:drug effects*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D021641:Recognition, Psychology / Q000187:drug effects*; D014227:Triazines / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D018692:Antimanic Agents; D014227:Triazines; D000077213:Lamotrigine