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Diffusion tensor imaging study of white matter fiber tracts in pediatric bipolar disorder and

Mani N Pavuluri1, Shuohui Yang, Kiran Kamineni

  • 1Center for Cognitive Medicine, University of Illinois Medical Center at Chicago, 912 S Wood Street, Chicago, IL 60612-7327, USA. mpavuluri@psych.uic.edu

Biological Psychiatry
|November 26, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Pediatric bipolar disorder (PBD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) show impaired white matter microstructure in the anterior corona radiata. ADHD exhibits more widespread abnormalities, including reduced fiber coherence and increased diffusion, compared to PBD.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroimaging
  • Neuroscience
  • Pediatric Psychiatry

Background:

  • Pediatric bipolar disorder (PBD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are complex neurodevelopmental conditions.
  • Investigating white matter microstructure differences is crucial for understanding these disorders.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare white matter fiber tract microstructure in children and adolescents with PBD and ADHD versus healthy controls.
  • To identify specific white matter abnormalities associated with each disorder.

Main Methods:

  • Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) at 3 Tesla was used.
  • Examined fractional anisotropy (FA), apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), and regional fiber coherence index (r-FCI).
  • Analyzed eight key white matter tracts in age- and IQ-matched participants (PBD, ADHD, and healthy controls).

Main Results:

  • Both PBD and ADHD showed significantly lower FA in the anterior corona radiata (ACR) compared to controls.
  • ADHD exhibited lower FA and r-FCI in the anterior limb of the internal capsule (ALIC) and superior region of the internal capsule (SRI) compared to PBD and controls.
  • ADHD demonstrated significantly greater ADC across multiple white matter tracts, indicating less diffusion restriction.

Conclusions:

  • Reduced FA in ACR suggests impaired fiber density or myelination in both PBD and ADHD.
  • ADHD shows additional fiber coherence deficits in corticobulbar tracts and widespread cellular abnormalities indicated by increased ADC.
  • These findings highlight distinct and overlapping white matter alterations in pediatric PBD and ADHD.
Abstract

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