Cerebral blood flow in relation to peripheral endothelial function in youth bipolar disorder.

Introduction: Anomalous cerebral blood flow (CBF) is evident in bipolar disorder (BD), however the extent to which CBF reflects peripheral vascular function in BD is unknown. This study investigated endothelial function, an index of early atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease risk, in relation to CBF among youth with BD.

Methods: Participants included 113 youth, 13-20 years old (66 BD; 47 healthy controls [HC]).

White matter microstructural integrity is associated with retinal vascular caliber in adolescents with bipolar disorder.

Objective: Reduced white matter integrity is observed in bipolar disorder (BD), and is associated with cardiovascular risk in adults. This topic is underexplored in youth, and in BD, where novel microvascular measures may help to inform understanding of the vascular-brain connection. We therefore examined the association of retinal vascular caliber with white matter integrity in a cross-sectional sample of adolescents with and without BD.

Classifying youth with bipolar disorder versus healthy youth using cerebral blood flow patterns.

Background: Clinical neuroimaging studies often investigate group differences between patients and controls, yet multivariate imaging features may enable individual-level classification. This study aims to classify youth with bipolar disorder (BD) versus healthy youth using grey matter cerebral blood flow (CBF) data analyzed with logistic regressions.

Methods: Using a 3 Tesla magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system, we collected pseudo-continuous, arterial spin-labelling, resting-state functional MRI (rfMRI) and -weighted images from youth with BD and healthy controls.

Sex differences in cerebral blood flow among adolescents with bipolar disorder.

Background: Abnormalities in cerebral blood flow (CBF) are common in bipolar disorder (BD). Despite known differences in CBF between healthy adolescent males and females, sex differences in CBF among adolescents with BD have never been studied.

Objective: To examine sex differences in CBF among adolescents with BD versus healthy controls (HC).

Measuring Brain Temperature in Youth Bipolar Disorder Using a Novel Magnetic Resonance Imaging Approach: A Proof-of-concept Study.

Background: There is evidence of alterations in mitochondrial energy metabolism and cerebral blood flow (CBF) in adults and youth with bipolar disorder (BD). Brain thermoregulation is based on the balance of heat-producing metabolism and heat-dissipating mechanisms, including CBF.

Objective: To examine brain temperature, and its relation to CBF, in relation to BD and mood symptom severity in youth.

Differential association of antioxidative defense genes with white matter integrity in youth bipolar disorder.

Oxidative stress is associated with white matter diffusion metrics in adults with bipolar disorder (BD). We examined the association of single-nucleotide polymorphisms in the oxidative stress system, superoxide dismutase-2 (SOD2) rs4880 and glutathione peroxidase-3 (GPX3) rs3792797 with fractional anisotropy (FA) and radial diffusivity (RD) in youth with BD. Participants included 104 youth (age 17.

Neurovascular correlates of retinal microvascular caliber in adolescent bipolar disorder.

Background: The connection between vascular and brain metrics is well-studied in older adults, but neglected in youth and in psychiatric populations at increased cardiovascular risk. We therefore examined the association of retinal vascular caliber with cerebral blood flow (CBF) in adolescents with and without bipolar disorder (BD).

Methods: Ninety-four adolescents (n = 48 BD, n = 46 controls) completed retinal fundus imaging, yielding estimates of arteriolar and venular diameter.

Elevated C-reactive protein among symptomatic youth with bipolar disorder.

Rationale And Objectives: Increased levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP) are associated with mood symptoms in adults with bipolar disorder (BD). The few studies on this topic in youth with BD have not included controls. We, therefore, examined CRP levels in relation to symptomatic status in youth with and without BD.

Cerebral Blood Flow and Core Mood Symptoms in Youth Bipolar Disorder: Evidence for Region-Symptom Specificity.

Objective: Building on prior findings in adults, this study investigated regional cerebral blood flow (CBF) in relation to DSM-5 criterion A symptoms of depression and mania in youth with bipolar disorder (BD).

Method: The study recruited 81 youths with BD and 75 healthy controls 13-20 years old. CBF was ascertained using pseudocontinuous arterial spin labeling magnetic resonance imaging.

Obesity and Cerebral Blood Flow in the Reward Circuitry of Youth With Bipolar Disorder.

Background: Bipolar disorder (BD) is associated with elevated body mass index (BMI) and increased rates of obesity. Obesity among individuals with BD is associated with more severe course of illness. Motivated by previous research on BD and BMI in youth as well as brain findings in the reward circuit, the current study investigates differences in cerebral blood flow (CBF) in youth BD with and without comorbid overweight/obesity (OW/OB).

Association of blood pressure with brain structure in youth with and without bipolar disorder.

Background: We previously found that blood pressure (BP) is elevated, and associated with poorer neurocognition, in youth with bipolar disorder (BD). While higher BP is associated with smaller brain structure in adults, studies have not examined this topic in BD or youth.

Methods: Participants were 154 youth, ages 13-20 (n = 81 BD, n = 73 HC).

Antioxidative Defense Genes and Brain Structure in Youth Bipolar Disorder.

Background: Oxidative stress is implicated in the neuropathology of bipolar disorder (BD). We investigated the association of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the antioxidative genes superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2) and glutathione peroxidase 3 (GPX3) with structural neuroimaging phenotypes in youth BD.

Methods: SOD2 rs4880 and GPX3 rs3792797 SNP genotypes, along with structural magnetic resonance imaging, were obtained from 147 youth (BD = 75; healthy controls = 72).

Elevated lipids are associated with reduced regional brain structure in youth with bipolar disorder.

Objective: Abnormal blood lipid levels are common in bipolar disorder (BD) and correlate with mood symptoms and neurocognition. However, studies have not examined the lipid-brain structure association in BD or youth.

Methods: This study examined low-density lipoprotein (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein (HDL-C), triglycerides, and total cholesterol (TC) levels in relation to brain structure utilizing T1-weighted images, among participants ages 13-20 with BD (n = 55) and healthy controls (HC; n = 47).

Intracranial and subcortical volumes in adolescents with early-onset psychosis: A multisite mega-analysis from the ENIGMA consortium.

Early-onset psychosis disorders are serious mental disorders arising before the age of 18 years. Here, we investigate the largest neuroimaging dataset, to date, of patients with early-onset psychosis and healthy controls for differences in intracranial and subcortical brain volumes. The sample included 263 patients with early-onset psychosis (mean age: 16.

Normal Cerebral Oxygen Consumption Despite Elevated Cerebral Blood Flow in Adolescents With Bipolar Disorder: Putative Neuroimaging Evidence of Anomalous Energy Metabolism.

Regional cerebral blood flow (CBF) is reportedly altered in both adolescents and adults with bipolar disorder (BD). Whether these CBF differences are part of an overall imbalance in cerebral energy homeostasis remains unknown. Therefore, we examined global cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen consumption (CMRO) as a physiological index of brain metabolism in adolescents with and without BD.

Measuring Connectivity in the Primary Visual Pathway in Human Albinism Using Diffusion Tensor Imaging and Tractography.

In albinism, the number of ipsilaterally projecting retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) is significantly reduced. The retina and optic chiasm have been proposed as candidate sites for misrouting. Since a correlation between the number of lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) relay neurons and LGN size has been shown, and based on previously reported reductions in LGN volumes in human albinism, we suggest that fiber projections from LGN to the primary visual cortex (V1) are also reduced.