Grey and white matter alteration in euthymic children with bipolar disorder: a combined source-based morphometry...

Area of Science:

• Neuroimaging
• Psychiatry
• Developmental Neuroscience

Background:

• Bipolar disorder (BPD) is characterized by extreme mood fluctuations.
• Understanding brain structure in pediatric BPD is crucial for early intervention.
• Research on brain matter differences in euthymic children with BPD is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate grey matter (GM) and white matter (WM) differences in children with BPD compared to typically developing (TD) children.
• To utilize both source-based morphometry (SBM) and voxel-based morphometry (VBM) analyses.
• To identify specific brain regions affected by BPD in pediatric populations.

Main Methods:

• Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and source-based morphometry (SBM) analyses were employed.
• Twenty euthymic children diagnosed with BPD were compared to 20 age-matched TD children.
• Differences in grey matter (GM) and white matter (WM) volumes were assessed.

Main Results:

• VBM showed decreased GM in the bilateral middle frontal gyrus and WM in the left hippocampus, left caudate, left orbitofrontal, and right inferior parietal cortices in children with BPD.
• SBM revealed increased GM in the bilateral angular gyrus, bilateral inferior temporal, left supplementary motor area, and left middle temporal regions.
• SBM also indicated decreased GM in the left inferior/middle occipital, cerebellum, thalamus, left premotor area, and left lingual gyrus in BPD children.

Conclusions:

• Significant alterations in grey matter (GM) and white matter (WM) are present in children with bipolar disorder (BPD), even during remission.
• Both VBM and SBM analyses identified distinct patterns of structural brain differences.
• These findings underscore the neurobiological underpinnings of pediatric BPD and suggest potential targets for future research and treatment.