title: Hippocampal subfield volumes in short- and long-term lithium-treated patients with bipolar I disorder.
abstract: Patients diagnosed with bipolar disorder (BP) may experience hippocampal atrophy. Lithium exposure has been associated with increased hippocampal volumes. However, its effects on hippocampal subfields remain to be clarified.
  
  
  
  We investigated the effects of short- and long-term lithium exposure on the hippocampus and its subfields in patients affected by bipolar I disorder (BP-I). Hippocampal subfields and total hippocampal volumes were measured in 60 subjects divided into four groups: 15 patients with BP-I who were never exposed to lithium [no-exposure group (NE)], 15 patients with BP-I exposed to lithium for < 24 months [short-exposure group (SE)], 15 patients with BP-I exposed to lithium for > 24 months [long-exposure group (LE)], and 15 healthy control subjects (HC).
  
  
  
  The SE and NE groups showed smaller total hippocampal volumes and smaller bilateral cornu ammonis CA2-3, CA4-dentate gyrus (DG), presubiculum, and subiculum volumes compared with HC. The LE group showed larger total hippocampal volumes and bilateral CA2-3, left CA4-DG, left presubiculum, and right subiculum volumes compared with the NE group, and larger volumes of the right CA2-3, left CA4-DG, left presubiculum, and right subiculum compared with the SE group. No differences were found between the LE group and HC or between the SE and NE groups.
  
  
  
  Long-term, but not short-term, exposure to lithium treatment may exert neuroprotective effects on specific hippocampal subfields linked to disease progression.
authors.affiliation: NESMOS Department (Neurosciences, Mental Health and Sensory Organs), Sapienza University of Rome, School of Medicine and Psychology, Sant'Andrea Hospital, Italy, IA.|Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) Santa Lucia Foundation, Department of Clinical and Behavioral Neurology, Italy, IA.|Centro Lucio Bini, Italy, IA.
authors.forename: Alessio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Simonetti
authors.affiliation: NESMOS Department (Neurosciences, Mental Health and Sensory Organs), Sapienza University of Rome, School of Medicine and Psychology, Sant'Andrea Hospital, Italy, IA.|Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) Santa Lucia Foundation, Department of Clinical and Behavioral Neurology, Italy, IA.|Centro Lucio Bini, Italy, IA.
authors.forename: Gabriele
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sani
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) Santa Lucia Foundation, Department of Clinical and Behavioral Neurology, Italy, IA.
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dacquino
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) Santa Lucia Foundation, Department of Clinical and Behavioral Neurology, Italy, IA.|Centro Studi e Ricerche Enrico Fermi, Compendio del Viminale, Italy, IA.
authors.forename: Fabrizio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Piras
authors.affiliation: NESMOS Department (Neurosciences, Mental Health and Sensory Organs), Sapienza University of Rome, School of Medicine and Psychology, Sant'Andrea Hospital, Italy, IA.|Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) Santa Lucia Foundation, Department of Clinical and Behavioral Neurology, Italy, IA.|Centro Lucio Bini, Italy, IA.
authors.forename: Pietro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: De Rossi
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) Santa Lucia Foundation, Department of Clinical and Behavioral Neurology, Italy, IA.|Department of Medicine of Systems, Tor Vergata University of Rome, Italy, IA.
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Caltagirone
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa, Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA, USA.
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Coryell
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) Santa Lucia Foundation, Department of Clinical and Behavioral Neurology, Italy, IA.|Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Gianfranco
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Spalletta
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001284:Atrophy; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008094:Lithium / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D059906:Neuroimaging / Q000379:methods; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D011581:Psychological Tests; D013995:Time
chemical_list: D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D008094:Lithium
keywords: bipolar disorder; hippocampal subfields; hippocampus; lithium; treatment