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Basal ganglia shape alterations in bipolar disorder
Jaeuk Hwang1, In Kyoon Lyoo, Stephen R Dager
1Department of Psychiatry, Seoul National University Hospital, 28 Yongon-dong, Chongno-gu, Seoul 110-744, South Korea.
The American Journal of Psychiatry
|February 2, 2006
Summary
Drug-naive bipolar disorder patients show distinct striatal shape differences compared to healthy individuals, which may normalize with treatment. This highlights the sensitivity of spherical harmonic analysis (SPHARM) for detecting subtle brain structure variations.
Area of Science:
- Neuroimaging
- Neuroanatomy
- Psychiatric Disorders
Background:
- Bipolar disorder is associated with alterations in basal ganglia structures.
- Previous research suggests potential volumetric changes in the striatum of patients with bipolar disorder.
- The impact of medication on these structural differences remains an area of investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare caudate head and putamen shape differences between drug-naive bipolar disorder patients, treated bipolar disorder patients, and healthy controls.
- To investigate whether treatment modulates observed shape differences in the striatum.
- To evaluate the utility of spherical harmonic (SPHARM) analysis in detecting subtle anatomical variations.
Main Methods:
- Acquisition of brain magnetic resonance images from 49 bipolar disorder patients (21 drug-naive, 28 drug-treated) and 37 healthy subjects.
- Utilized spherical harmonic (SPHARM) techniques to analyze surface shape differences in the caudate heads and putamen.
- Performed volumetric measurements alongside SPHARM analysis to assess shape variations.
Main Results:
- No significant differences in the volume of striatal structures were found between groups.
- Significant shape differences were observed in the anterior and ventral surfaces of the striatum.
- These shape differences were more pronounced in drug-naive bipolar disorder patients, particularly on the right side, compared to healthy controls, and were not evident in drug-treated patients.
Conclusions:
- Drug-naive bipolar disorder patients exhibit distinct striatal shape characteristics compared to healthy individuals.
- These observed shape differences may be influenced or normalized by pharmacological treatment.
- Spherical harmonic (SPHARM) analysis is a sensitive method for detecting subtle anatomical shape variations in small brain regions, even without significant volume changes.