Frontosubcortical neuroanatomy and the continuous performance test in mania
K W Sax1, S M Strakowski, M E Zimmerman
1Department of Psychiatry, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, OH 45267-0559, USA. saxkw@email.uc.edu
The American Journal of Psychiatry
|January 19, 1999
Summary
Patients with bipolar disorder showed poorer performance on the Continuous Performance Test and had reduced prefrontal and hippocampal volumes, suggesting a link between brain structure and attention deficits in mania.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
- Neuroimaging
Background:
- Bipolar disorder is characterized by mood episodes and cognitive impairments.
- Attentional deficits are common in individuals experiencing manic episodes.
- The relationship between brain structure and cognitive function in bipolar disorder requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the correlation between Continuous Performance Test (CPT) scores and frontosubcortical brain volumes in patients with bipolar disorder.
- To identify specific neuroanatomic correlates of attentional dysfunction during acute manic episodes.
Main Methods:
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to assess brain volumes.
- 17 patients with acute manic episodes and 12 healthy comparison subjects participated.
- All participants completed the Continuous Performance Test (CPT) to measure attention.
Main Results:
- Patients with bipolar disorder exhibited significantly worse performance on the CPT compared to controls.
- Patients demonstrated smaller prefrontal cortical volumes than the comparison group.
- Within the patient group, CPT performance was significantly correlated with prefrontal and hippocampal volumes.
Conclusions:
- The findings suggest that reduced prefrontal and hippocampal volumes are associated with attentional deficits in bipolar disorder.
- These neuroanatomic differences may underlie the observed cognitive impairments during manic episodes.
- Further research into these brain-behavior relationships is warranted.
