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Updated: Jul 8, 2026

Developing a Rat Model for Bipolar Disorder
Published on: May 2, 2025
Increased volume of the amygdala and hippocampus in bipolar patients treated with lithium
Lara C Foland1, Lori L Altshuler, Catherine A Sugar
1Laboratory of NeuroImaging, Department of Neurology, University of California, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California, USA.
Abstract:
Previous structural neuroimaging studies of bipolar disorder have reported conflicting findings in limbic structures. Medication heterogeneity of patient samples may have contributed to these inconsistencies. Using structural magnetic resonance imaging we assessed whether lithium treatment was associated with differences in amygdala and hippocampal volumes in a sample of bipolar adults. A total of 49 magnetic resonance imaging scans were collected from patients who were currently treated with or without lithium. Amygdala and hippocampal volumes were analyzed using tensor-based morphometry. Statistical between-group comparisons of deformation maps showed that patients treated with lithium exhibited significantly increased volumes of the amygdala and hippocampus compared with patients who were not taking lithium. Our findings may help to explain previous inconsistencies in the bipolar literature.
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