title: Microstructural Changes of Anterior Corona Radiata in Bipolar Depression.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In bipolar disorder, dysregulation of mood may result from white matter abnormalities that change fiber tract length and fiber density. There are few studies evaluating the white matter microstructural changes in bipolar I patients (BD) with depressive episodes. The present study aimed to evaluate anterior corona radiata in BD patients with depressive episode using Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI).
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-one patients with bipolar depression and 19 healthy controls were investigated and groups were matched for age and gender. Diffusion-weighted echoplanar brain images (DW-EPI) were obtained using a 1.5 T MRI scanner. Regions of interest (ROIs) were manually placed on directional maps based on principal anisotropy. Apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and fractional anisotropy (FA) values of white matter were measured in the anterior corona radiata (ACR) bilaterally by diffusion tensor imaging.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was not a significant difference between groups of age and gender (p>0.05). Significantly lower FA was observed in bilateral ACR in bipolar patients with depression compared with healthy individuals. And there is significantly higher ADC values in the left frontal corona radiate in bipolar patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  White matter abnormalities can be detected in patients with BD using DTI. The neuropathology of these abnormalities is unclear, but neuronal and axonal loss, myelin abnormalities and reduced white matter fiber density are likely to be relevant.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Harran, Sanliurfa, Turkey.
authors.forename: I Fatih
authors.initials: IF
authors.lastname: Karababa
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Harran, Sanliurfa, Turkey.
authors.forename: Huseyin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bayazıt
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Harran, Sanliurfa, Turkey.
authors.forename: Nihat
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kılıçaslan
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Diyarbakir Training and Research Hospital, Diyarbakir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Celik
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Harran, Sanliurfa, Turkey.
authors.forename: Hasan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cece
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Harran, Sanliurfa, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ekrem
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Karakas
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Medeniyet, Istanbul, Turkey. ; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Harris County Psychiatric Center, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Salih
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Selek
keywords: Anterior corona radiate; Bipolar disorder; Depression; Diffusion tensor imaging; White matter