title: Neural correlates of negative emotion processing in bipolar disorder.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Bipolar disorder type I (BD-I) is characterized by a severe impairment in emotional processing during both acute and euthymic phases of the illness. The aim of the present study was to investigate negative emotion processing in both euthymic patients and non-affected first-degree relatives, looking for state and trait markers of BD-I.
  
  
  METHODS
  22 healthy relatives of BD-I patients (mean age 31.5±7.3 years; 15 females), 23 euthymic BD-I patients (mean age 35.2±7.9 years; 14 females), and 24 matched controls (mean age 32.5±6.2 years; 16 females) performed an IAPS-based emotional task during 1.5T fMRI. They were required to identify vegetable items (targets) inside neutral or negative pictures.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Euthymic BD-I patients showed a significant reduced accuracy in target detection during both neutral and negative images presentation, whereas first-degree relatives performed similarly to normal comparisons. We found a reduced activation of Left precuneus during negative images condition in the patients only. By contrast, both patients and relatives hyperactivated the Left insula and hypoactivated the Right supramarginal gyrus with respect to controls. Moreover, relatives showed an increased activation of Right lingual gyrus and lower activation of pre-supplementary motor area and Right superior frontal gyrus.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  During a negative emotion task, euthymic BD-I patients and non-affected first-degree relatives shared an abnormal activation of a limbic area (Left insula) coupled with a reduced activation of a parietal region (Right supramarginal gyrus), thus suggesting a trait-like anomalous processing of affective contents. On the other hand, functional abnormalities found only in unaffected relatives and not in patients and controls may correspond to resilience factors.
authors: Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, "G. D'Annunzio" University Chieti-Pescara, Italy; Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Neurosciences and Sense Organs, University "A. Moro", Bari, Italy. Electronic address: g.sepede@unich.it.
authors: Gianna
authors: G
authors: Sepede
authors: National Health Trust, Department of Mental Health, Teramo, Italy.
authors: Domenico
authors: D
authors: De Berardis
authors: National Health Trust, Department of Mental Health, Teramo, Italy.
authors: Daniela
authors: D
authors: Campanella
authors: Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, "G. D'Annunzio" University Chieti-Pescara, Italy; ITAB - Institute for Advanced Biomedical Technologies, "G. D'Annunzio" University Chieti-Pescara, Italy.
authors: Mauro Gianni
authors: MG
authors: Perrucci
authors: Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, "G. D'Annunzio" University Chieti-Pescara, Italy; ITAB - Institute for Advanced Biomedical Technologies, "G. D'Annunzio" University Chieti-Pescara, Italy; Bioengineering Unit, IRCCS NEUROMED, Pozzilli, Isernia, Italy.
authors: Antonio
authors: A
authors: Ferretti
authors: Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, "G. D'Annunzio" University Chieti-Pescara, Italy.
authors: Rosa Maria
authors: RM
authors: Salerno
authors: Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, "G. D'Annunzio" University Chieti-Pescara, Italy; National Health Trust, Department of Mental Health, Chieti, Italy.
authors: Massimo
authors: M
authors: Di Giannantonio
authors: Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, "G. D'Annunzio" University Chieti-Pescara, Italy; ITAB - Institute for Advanced Biomedical Technologies, "G. D'Annunzio" University Chieti-Pescara, Italy.
authors: Gian Luca
authors: GL
authors: Romani
authors: Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, "G. D'Annunzio" University Chieti-Pescara, Italy.
authors: Francesco
authors: F
authors: Gambi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology*; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D010100:Oxygen
keywords: Bipolar disorder; Euthymia; First-degree relatives; Negative emotion processing; Trait marker; fMRI