Metabolic changes in patients with bipolar disorder in spring

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Metabolomics
• Psychiatry

Background:

• Bipolar disorder (BD) exhibits a seasonal pattern (SP) in onset and symptom severity.
• Spring is associated with increased rates of mania, mixed episodes, and suicide in BD patients.
• The underlying biological mechanisms driving this seasonal pattern remain largely unknown.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate metabolic alterations in individuals with bipolar disorder (BD) in relation to the spring equinox.
• To identify specific metabolites and pathways affected by seasonal changes in BD patients.
• To explore potential environmental triggers for seasonal mood shifts in BD.

Main Methods:

• Targeted metabolomics analysis of serum samples.
• Inclusion of nine patients with BD and matched healthy controls.
• Sample collection at three time points: 15 days before, at, and 15 days after the spring equinox.

Main Results:

• Significant changes in 27 metabolite levels were observed between groups and time points.
• Three specific triglyceride (TG) metabolites (TG 20:4_34:2, TG 20:4_34:3, TG 16:0_36:6) showed significant interactions.
• Affected metabolic pathways included arginine biosynthesis, D-glutamine and D-glutamate metabolism, and nitrogen metabolism.

Conclusions:

• Metabolic profiles of BD patients change significantly around the spring equinox.
• Environmental factors like solar radiation and lunar cycles may influence these seasonal metabolic shifts.
• Findings offer insights into the mechanisms of seasonal affective changes in bipolar disorder.