title: Risky alcohol use in young persons with emerging bipolar disorder is associated with increased oxidative stress.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Alcohol misuse is highly prevalent in bipolar disorder (BD) and has been associated with increased formation of reactive oxygen species in the CNS. Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((1)H-MRS) is an in vivo tissue-based imaging modality that allows the investigation of changes in the brains primary antioxidant, glutathione (GSH), as a result of alcohol use in this population.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-three patients with BD and 17 controls aged 18-30 years were recruited. Participants completed the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) and underwent (1)H-MRS. Levels of GSH in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) were determined. ANOVA was conducted to determine differences between high and low risk drinking bipolar participants and controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  ANOVA with all groups revealed a significant difference in GSH between bipolar high and low risk drinkers, with those in the high-risk group displaying reduced GSH levels. A significant negative correlation was found between total AUDIT score and GSH in bipolar (R=-0.478, p=0.005) which remained significant when controlling for age and medication status.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our participant sample consisted of a heterogeneous group of patients, most of whom were medicated at time of testing.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Young people with emerging BD who drink at risky levels display reduced levels of ACC-GSH. Increased oxidative stress and its resulting neurotoxic effects may be especially detrimental in an emerging bipolar sample where the illness trajectory is unclear and the brain is still undergoing significant development.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Research Unit, Brain and Mind Research Institute, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2050, Australia. kate.chitty@sydney.edu.au
authors.forename: Kate M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Chitty
authors.forename: Jim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lagopoulos
authors.forename: Ian B
authors.initials: IB
authors.lastname: Hickie
authors.forename: Daniel F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Hermens
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001315:Australia; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000378:metabolism*; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005260:Female; D005978:Glutathione / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D006179:Gyrus Cinguli / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008297:Male; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D005978:Glutathione
keywords: Alcohol; Anterior cingulate cortex; Bipolar disorder; Glutathione; Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy