Decreased right hippocampal volumes and neuroprogression markers in adolescents with bipolar disorder.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of the present study was to assess differences and correlations between the hippocampal volumes (HCVs), serum nerve growth factor (NGF), and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels in adolescents with bipolar disorder (BP) compared to healthy controls.


METHODS
Using structural magnetic resonance imaging, we compared HCVs of 30 patients with euthymic BP who were already enrolled in a naturalistic clinical follow-up. For comparison, we enrolled 23 healthy controls between the ages of 13 and 19. The boundaries of the hippocampus were outlined manually. The BDNF and NGF serum levels were measured with the sandwich ELISA.


RESULTS
The groups did not differ in the right or left HCVs or in the NGF or BDNF serum levels. However, negative correlations were found between the right HCVs and the duration of the disorder and medication and positive correlations were found between the duration of the medications and the NGF and BDNF levels in the patient group. Additionally, positive correlations were found between the follow-up period and left normalized HCVs in both the BP and lithium-treated groups.


CONCLUSIONS
The right HCVs may vary with illness duration and the medication used to treat BP; NGF and BDNF levels may be affected by long-term usage. Further research is needed to determine whether these variables and their structural correlates are associated with clinical or functional differences between adolescents with BP and healthy controls.
Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department, Dokuz Eylül University Medical School, Izmir, Turkey.
F Neslihan
FN
Inal-Emiroglu
Halil
H
Resmi
Nuri
N
Karabay
Handan
H
Guleryuz
Burak
B
Baykara
Nagihan
N
Cevher
Aynur
A
Akay
D000293:Adolescent; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology*; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000097:blood*; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology*; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D018021:Lithium Chloride / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D020932:Nerve Growth Factor / Q000097:blood*; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D014635:Valproic Acid / Q000627:therapeutic use; D055815:Young Adult
D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D014635:Valproic Acid; D020932:Nerve Growth Factor; D018021:Lithium Chloride