[Cerebral changes in manic-depressive patients]

Research in psychiatry with computed tomography, magnetic resonance, single photon emission computed tomography and positron emission tomography has until recently focused on schizophrenia. Results from the latest years suggest some of the same cerebral changes in affective disorder. Structural changes with enlargement of the lateral and third ventricles and broader sulci on the brain surface are frequently found in both patient groups compared to healthy volunteers. Areas with subcortical hyperintensity in the deep white matter and periventricular regions are frequently seen, especially in affective disorder bipolar patients, but seldom in schizophrenics. Functionally, the reduced activity in the prefrontal cortex in the depressive state is the most common finding together with hypoactivity in the left hemisphere. The aetiology and pathophysiological meaning of these brain changes remain unsolved.