The effects of lithium and anticonvulsants on brain structure in bipolar disorder

C. Germana; M. J. Kempton; A. Sarnicola; T. Christodoulou; M. Haldane; M. Hadjulis; P. Girardi; R. Tatarelli; S. Frangou

doi:10.1111/j.1600-0447.2010.01582.x

The effects of lithium and anticonvulsants on brain structure in bipolar disorder

C. Germana, M. J. Kempton, A. Sarnicola, T. Christodoulou, M. Haldane, M. Hadjulis, P. Girardi, R. Tatarelli, S. Frangou

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

78 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the effect of lithium, anticonvulsants and antipsychotics on brain structure in bipolar disorder (BD). Method: A cross-sectional structural brain magnetic resonance imaging study of 74 remitted patients with BD, aged 18-65, who were receiving long-term prophylactic treatment with lithium or anticonvulsants or antipsychotics. Global and regional grey matter, white matter, and cerebrospinal fluid volumes were compared between treatment groups. Results: Grey matter in the subgenual anterior cingulate gyrus on the right (extending into the hypothalamus) and in the postcentral gyrus, the hippocampus/amygdale complex and the insula on the left was greater in BD patients on lithium treatment compared to all other treatment groups. Conclusion: Lithium treatment in BD has a significant effect on brain structure particularly in limbic/paralimbic regions associated with emotional processing.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	481 - 487
Number of pages	7
Journal	Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica
Volume	122
Issue number	6
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0447.2010.01582.x
Publication status	Published - Dec 2010

Access to Document

10.1111/j.1600-0447.2010.01582.x

Cite this

@article{03a809543c864d4288ec143e2797618a,

title = "The effects of lithium and anticonvulsants on brain structure in bipolar disorder",

abstract = "Objective: To investigate the effect of lithium, anticonvulsants and antipsychotics on brain structure in bipolar disorder (BD). Method: A cross-sectional structural brain magnetic resonance imaging study of 74 remitted patients with BD, aged 18-65, who were receiving long-term prophylactic treatment with lithium or anticonvulsants or antipsychotics. Global and regional grey matter, white matter, and cerebrospinal fluid volumes were compared between treatment groups. Results: Grey matter in the subgenual anterior cingulate gyrus on the right (extending into the hypothalamus) and in the postcentral gyrus, the hippocampus/amygdale complex and the insula on the left was greater in BD patients on lithium treatment compared to all other treatment groups. Conclusion: Lithium treatment in BD has a significant effect on brain structure particularly in limbic/paralimbic regions associated with emotional processing.",

author = "C. Germana and Kempton, {M. J.} and A. Sarnicola and T. Christodoulou and M. Haldane and M. Hadjulis and P. Girardi and R. Tatarelli and S. Frangou",

year = "2010",

month = dec,

doi = "10.1111/j.1600-0447.2010.01582.x",

language = "English",

volume = "122",

pages = "481 -- 487",

journal = "Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica",

issn = "1600-0447",

publisher = "John Wiley & Sons, Ltd (10.1111)",

number = "6",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - The effects of lithium and anticonvulsants on brain structure in bipolar disorder

AU - Germana, C.

AU - Kempton, M. J.

AU - Sarnicola, A.

AU - Christodoulou, T.

AU - Haldane, M.

AU - Hadjulis, M.

AU - Girardi, P.

AU - Tatarelli, R.

AU - Frangou, S.

PY - 2010/12

Y1 - 2010/12

N2 - Objective: To investigate the effect of lithium, anticonvulsants and antipsychotics on brain structure in bipolar disorder (BD). Method: A cross-sectional structural brain magnetic resonance imaging study of 74 remitted patients with BD, aged 18-65, who were receiving long-term prophylactic treatment with lithium or anticonvulsants or antipsychotics. Global and regional grey matter, white matter, and cerebrospinal fluid volumes were compared between treatment groups. Results: Grey matter in the subgenual anterior cingulate gyrus on the right (extending into the hypothalamus) and in the postcentral gyrus, the hippocampus/amygdale complex and the insula on the left was greater in BD patients on lithium treatment compared to all other treatment groups. Conclusion: Lithium treatment in BD has a significant effect on brain structure particularly in limbic/paralimbic regions associated with emotional processing.

AB - Objective: To investigate the effect of lithium, anticonvulsants and antipsychotics on brain structure in bipolar disorder (BD). Method: A cross-sectional structural brain magnetic resonance imaging study of 74 remitted patients with BD, aged 18-65, who were receiving long-term prophylactic treatment with lithium or anticonvulsants or antipsychotics. Global and regional grey matter, white matter, and cerebrospinal fluid volumes were compared between treatment groups. Results: Grey matter in the subgenual anterior cingulate gyrus on the right (extending into the hypothalamus) and in the postcentral gyrus, the hippocampus/amygdale complex and the insula on the left was greater in BD patients on lithium treatment compared to all other treatment groups. Conclusion: Lithium treatment in BD has a significant effect on brain structure particularly in limbic/paralimbic regions associated with emotional processing.

U2 - 10.1111/j.1600-0447.2010.01582.x

DO - 10.1111/j.1600-0447.2010.01582.x

M3 - Article

SN - 1600-0447

VL - 122

SP - 481

EP - 487

JO - Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica

JF - Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica

IS - 6

ER -

The effects of lithium and anticonvulsants on brain structure in bipolar disorder

Abstract

Access to Document

Fingerprint

Cite this