Thomas-Odenthal Florian, Stein Frederike, Vogelbacher Christoph, Alexander Nina, Bechdolf Andreas, Bermpohl Felix, Bröckel Kyra, Brosch Katharina, Correll Christoph U, Evermann Ulrika, Falkenberg Irina, Fallgatter Andreas, Flinkenflügel Kira, Grotegerd Dominik, Hahn Tim, Hautzinger Martin, Jansen Andreas, Juckel Georg, Krug Axel, Lambert Martin, Leicht Gregor, Leopold Karolina, Meinert Susanne, Mikolas Pavol, Mulert Christoph, Nenadić Igor, Pfarr Julia-Katharina, Reif Andreas, Ringwald Kai, Ritter Philipp, Stamm Thomas, Straube Benjamin, Teutenberg Lea, Thiel Katharina, Usemann Paula, Winter Alexandra, Wroblewski Adrian, Dannlowski Udo, Bauer Michael, Pfennig Andrea, Kircher Tilo
Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany.
Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior (CMBB), Universities of Marburg and Gießen, Marburg, Germany.
Psychol Med. 2024 Aug;54(11):3071-3081. doi: 10.1017/S0033291724001193. Epub 2024 May 27.
Individuals at risk for bipolar disorder (BD) have a wide range of genetic and non-genetic risk factors, like a positive family history of BD or (sub)threshold affective symptoms. Yet, it is unclear whether these individuals at risk and those diagnosed with BD share similar gray matter brain alterations.
In 410 male and female participants aged 17-35 years, we compared gray matter volume (3T MRI) between individuals at risk for BD (as assessed using the EPI scale; = 208), patients with a DSM-IV-TR diagnosis of BD ( = 87), and healthy controls ( = 115) using voxel-based morphometry in SPM12/CAT12. We applied conjunction analyses to identify similarities in gray matter volume alterations in individuals at risk and BD patients, relative to healthy controls. We also performed exploratory whole-brain analyses to identify differences in gray matter volume among groups. ComBat was used to harmonize imaging data from seven sites.
Both individuals at risk and BD patients showed larger volumes in the right putamen than healthy controls. Furthermore, individuals at risk had smaller volumes in the right inferior occipital gyrus, and BD patients had larger volumes in the left precuneus, compared to healthy controls. These findings were independent of course of illness (number of lifetime manic and depressive episodes, number of hospitalizations), comorbid diagnoses (major depressive disorder, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety disorder, eating disorder), familial risk, current disease severity (global functioning, remission status), and current medication intake.
Our findings indicate that alterations in the right putamen might constitute a vulnerability marker for BD.
双相情感障碍（BD）风险个体存在广泛的遗传和非遗传风险因素，如BD家族史阳性或（亚）阈下情感症状。然而，尚不清楚这些风险个体与已诊断为BD的个体是否存在相似的脑灰质改变。
在410名年龄在17 - 35岁的男性和女性参与者中，我们使用SPM12/CAT12中的基于体素的形态测量法，比较了BD风险个体（使用EPI量表评估；n = 208）、DSM-IV-TR诊断为BD的患者（n = 87）和健康对照者（n = 115）之间的脑灰质体积（3T磁共振成像）。我们应用联合分析来确定风险个体和BD患者相对于健康对照者在脑灰质体积改变方面的相似性。我们还进行了探索性全脑分析，以确定各组之间脑灰质体积的差异。使用ComBat对来自七个站点的成像数据进行协调。
与健康对照者相比，风险个体和BD患者的右侧壳核体积均更大。此外，与健康对照者相比，风险个体的右侧枕下回体积较小，而BD患者的左侧楔前叶体积较大。这些发现与疾病病程（终生躁狂和抑郁发作次数、住院次数）、共病诊断（重度抑郁症、注意力缺陷多动障碍、焦虑症、饮食失调）、家族风险、当前疾病严重程度（整体功能、缓解状态）和当前药物摄入无关。
我们的研究结果表明，右侧壳核的改变可能是BD的一个易感性标志物。
