Increased volume of the amygdala and hippocampus in bipolar patients treated with lithium.
Previous structural neuroimaging studies of bipolar disorder have reported conflicting findings in limbic structures. Medication heterogeneity of patient samples may have contributed to these inconsistencies. Using structural magnetic resonance imaging we assessed whether lithium treatment was associated with differences in amygdala and hippocampal volumes in a sample of bipolar adults. A total of 49 magnetic resonance imaging scans were collected from patients who were currently treated with or without lithium. Amygdala and hippocampal volumes were analyzed using tensor-based morphometry. Statistical between-group comparisons of deformation maps showed that patients treated with lithium exhibited significantly increased volumes of the amygdala and hippocampus compared with patients who were not taking lithium. Our findings may help to explain previous inconsistencies in the bipolar literature.
Foland
Lara C
LC
Laboratory of NeuroImaging, Department of Neurology, University of California, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California, USA.
Altshuler
Lori L
LL
Sugar
Catherine A
CA
Lee
Agatha D
AD
Leow
Alex D
AD
Townsend
Jennifer
J
Narr
Katherine L
KL
Asuncion
Dina M
DM
Toga
Arthur W
AW
Thompson
Paul M
PM
D000328:Adult; D000679:Amygdala / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D018692:Antimanic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001284:Atrophy / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D001931:Brain Mapping; D015984:Causality; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D018020:Lithium Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D018692:Antimanic Agents; D018020:Lithium Compounds