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Morphology of the subgenual prefrontal cortex in pediatric bipolar disorder

Hasan A Baloch1, John P Hatch, Rene L Olvera

  • 1CERT-BD, Department of Psychiatry, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 10614 Neurosciences Hospital, Campus Box 7160, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7160, USA. Baloch@med.unc.edu

Journal of Psychiatric Research
|May 22, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Pediatric bipolar disorder (PBD) patients with a family history of mood disorders may have smaller left subgenual prefrontal cortex (SGPFC) volumes. Mood stabilizers may influence SGPFC size in PBD.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Psychiatry
  • Neuroimaging

Background:

  • The subgenual prefrontal cortex (SGPFC) is crucial for emotional regulation and reward processing.
  • Volumetric abnormalities in the SGPFC are noted in adult bipolar disorder but not well-studied in pediatric cases.
  • Pediatric bipolar disorder (PBD) requires further investigation into SGPFC structural differences.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate SGPFC gray matter volumes in children and adolescents with PBD compared to healthy controls.
  • To explore the influence of family history of affective disorders and medication status on SGPFC volumes in PBD.

Main Methods:

  • Structural MRI scans (1.5 T) were acquired for 51 PBD subjects and 41 healthy controls (HC).
  • Manual tracing was used to determine SGPFC gray matter volumes.
  • Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) controlled for age, gender, and intracranial volume.

Main Results:

  • No significant overall difference in SGPFC volume was found between PBD and HC subjects.
  • PBD subjects with a positive family history of mood disorders showed significantly smaller left SGPFC volumes than HC (p=0.03).
  • Mood stabilizer use in PBD was associated with larger right SGPFC volume (p=0.03).

Conclusions:

  • A smaller left SGPFC volume may be present in pediatric bipolar disorder patients with a strong family history of mood disorders.
  • Mood-stabilizing medication might affect SGPFC volume, potentially masking underlying differences.
  • These findings highlight the need to consider genetic vulnerability and medication effects in PBD neuroimaging studies.
Abstract

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