title: Gray matter volumes in patients with bipolar disorder and their first-degree relatives.
abstract: Bipolar disorder (BD) is highly heritable. First-degree relatives of BD patient have an increased risk to develop the disease. We investigated abnormalities in gray matter (GM) volumes in healthy first-degree relatives of BD patients to identify possible brain structural endophenotypes for the disorder. 3D T1-weighted magnetic resonance images were obtained from 25 DSM-IV BD type I patients, 23 unaffected relatives, and 27 healthy controls (HC). A voxel-based morphometry protocol was used to compare differences in GM volumes between groups. BD patients presented reduced GM volumes bilaterally in the thalamus compared with HC. Relatives presented no global or regional GM differences compared with HC. Our negative results do not support the role of GM volume abnormalities as endophenotypes for BD. Thalamic volume abnormalities may be associated the pathophysiology of the disease.
authors.affiliation: Bipolar Disorder Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of Sao Paulo Medical School, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA. Electronic address: fabiano_nery@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Fabiano G
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: Nery
authors.affiliation: Bipolar Disorder Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of Sao Paulo Medical School, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Alexandre Duarte
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Gigante
authors.affiliation: Bipolar Disorder Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of Sao Paulo Medical School, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Jose A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Amaral
authors.affiliation: Bipolar Disorder Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of Sao Paulo Medical School, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Francy B F
authors.initials: FB
authors.lastname: Fernandes
authors.affiliation: Bipolar Disorder Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of Sao Paulo Medical School, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Mariangeles
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Berutti
authors.affiliation: Bipolar Disorder Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of Sao Paulo Medical School, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Karla M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Almeida
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Neuroimage in Psychiatry (LIM 21), Research in Applied Neuroscience, Support Core of the University of Sao Paulo (NAPNA-USP), Brazil.
authors.forename: Camila de Godoi
authors.initials: Cde G
authors.lastname: Carneiro
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Neuroimage in Psychiatry (LIM 21), Research in Applied Neuroscience, Support Core of the University of Sao Paulo (NAPNA-USP), Brazil.
authors.forename: Fabio Luis Souza
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Duran
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Neuroradiology (LIM 44), Department of Radiology and Oncology, University of Sao Paulo Medical School, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Otaduy
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Neuroradiology (LIM 44), Department of Radiology and Oncology, University of Sao Paulo Medical School, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Claudia Costa
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Leite
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Neuroimage in Psychiatry (LIM 21), Research in Applied Neuroscience, Support Core of the University of Sao Paulo (NAPNA-USP), Brazil.
authors.forename: Geraldo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Busatto
authors.affiliation: Bipolar Disorder Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of Sao Paulo Medical School, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Beny
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lafer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics*; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D058068:Endophenotypes; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D066128:Gray Matter / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Bipolar disorder; Cerebral cortex; Endophenotypes; Magnetic resonance imaging; Thalamus