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Pre- and perinatal hypoxia associated with hippocampus/amygdala volume in bipolar disorder

U K Haukvik1, T McNeil2, E H Lange1

  • 1Department of Psychiatric Research, Diakonhjemmet Hospital, Oslo, Norway.

Psychological Medicine
|June 28, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Prenatal hypoxia-related obstetric complications are linked to brain structure changes in adults with bipolar disorder. These changes, particularly in the amygdala and hippocampus, differ between psychotic and non-psychotic bipolar disorder presentations.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Psychiatry
  • Medical Imaging

Background:

  • Prenatal and perinatal adversities may elevate the risk for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
  • Hypoxia-related obstetric complications (OCs) are linked to brain abnormalities in schizophrenia.
  • The association between hypoxia-related OCs and brain anatomy in bipolar disorder remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between pre- and perinatal hypoxia-related obstetric complications and brain morphometry in adults with bipolar disorder.
  • To explore potential differences in these associations between psychotic and non-psychotic bipolar disorder.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain scans from 219 adults (79 with bipolar disorder, 140 controls).
  • Analyzed data from the Medical Birth Registry of Norway, including severe hypoxia-related OCs and perinatal asphyxia.
  • Employed linear regression models to assess brain volumes (hippocampus, amygdala, lateral ventricles) in relation to OCs, controlling for covariates.

Main Results:

  • Perinatal asphyxia was associated with smaller left amygdala volume in bipolar disorder patients, but not controls.
  • Psychotic bipolar disorder patients showed associations between perinatal asphyxia and smaller left amygdala volume.
  • Non-psychotic bipolar disorder patients exhibited smaller right hippocampal volumes linked to both perinatal asphyxia and severe OCs.

Conclusions:

  • Pre- and perinatal hypoxia-related OCs are associated with distinct brain morphometric patterns in adults with bipolar disorder.
  • These findings highlight specific neuroanatomical correlates of obstetric complications in different bipolar disorder subtypes.
Abstract

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