Brain structure changes provide important new clue for Bipolar Disorder
29 Sepmteber 2009
New research published in the Journal of Neuroscience this month by Dr Frangou and colleagues from the Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London, provides important new insights in the factors which predispose a person to Bipolar Disorder (BD) also known as Manic Depression.
Dr Frangou said 'Although there has been much progress in finding genes that increase the risk for BD, we still don’t why some people become ill while others are resilient despite a genetic risk. The answer to this question holds the key to early diagnosis and even prevention.'
The team examined differences and similarities in the structure of the brain in patients with BD and their immediate relatives. They found that family members regardless of whether they were well or not had similar changes in a region called the insula, which is involved in linking bodily sensations to emotions. Lead author Dr. Kempton said: 'What is really exciting is that we were able to find differences in the brain structure between patients with BD and their well relatives. We found that the volume of the substantia nigra, a brain region involved in regulating movement and emotion, was increased in patients only. This makes sense, since hyperactivity together with elevated mood, are characteristic of mania, the diagnostic hallmark of BD. In contrast, volume changes in the cerebellum, another part of the brain involved in regulating both mood and movement, were seen only in relatives who remained well.'
Dr Frangou continued 'The importance of these findings is twofold. Firstly they emphasise that developing BD is not inescapable, even in the face of heightened genetic risk - the brain can adapt to maintain wellbeing. Secondly, this line of research suggests that diagnostic tests for BD may soon be within our reach.' The team's future plans include using sophisticated bioinformatic techniques to developing diagnostic biomarkers for mood disorders.
The authors of the study were: Matthew J Kempton, Morgan Haldane, Jigar Jogia, David Collier and Sophia Frangou from the Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London; and Paul M Grasby from Medical Research Council Clinical Services Centre, Imperial College, London.
See the full study: http://www.jneurosci.org/content/29/35/10863.short