Longitudinal Volumetric Assessment of Ventricular Enlargement in Pet Dogs Trained for Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) Studies.

Background: Recent studies suggest that clinically sound ventriculomegaly in dogs could be a preliminary form of the clinically significant hydrocephalus. We evaluated changes of ventricular volumes in awake functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) trained dogs with indirectly assessed cognitive abilities over time (thus avoiding the use of anaesthetics, which can alter the pressure). Our research question was whether ventricular enlargement developing over time would have any detrimental effect on staying still while being scanned; which can be extrapolated to the ability to pay attention and to exert inhibition.

Sex-Based Differences in Multiple Sclerosis (MS): Part II: Rising Incidence of Multiple Sclerosis in Women and the Vulnerability of Men to Progression of this Disease.

It is well known that a number of autoimmune diseases including multiple sclerosis (MS) predominantly affect women and there has been much attention directed toward understanding why this is the case. Past research has revealed a number of sex differences in autoimmune responses that can account for the female bias in MS. However, much less is known about why the incidence of MS has increased exclusively in women over the past half century.

Smaller volumes of caudate nuclei in prepubertal children with ADHD: impact of age.

Objective: Age-related abnormalities in caudate volumes have been reported to differ across the periods of childhood and puberty in children with ADHD. This study assessed caudate volumetric abnormalities across two narrow age clusters within the childhood period.

Method: Three-dimensional manual tracings of the head and body of the caudate nucleus and of the cerebrum were acquired from 26 medication-naïve boys with a diagnosis of ADHD (ages 5.

White matter hyperintensities: from medical comorbidities to bipolar disorders and back.

White matter hyperintensities (WMHs) are among the most replicated neuroimaging findings in studies of patients with bipolar disorders (BD). Despite the high rates of WMHs, their role and etiology in BD are not well understood. WMHs occur in multiple other conditions frequently co-morbid with BD.

White matter hyperintensities in affected and unaffected late teenage and early adulthood offspring of bipolar parents: a two-center high-risk study.

Background: White matter hyperintensities (WMHs) are among the most replicated neuroimaging findings in bipolar disorder (BD). It is not clear whether these lesions are an artifact of comorbid conditions, or whether they are directly associated with the disorder, or even represent biological risk factor for BD.

Methods: To test whether WMHs meet criteria for an endophenotype of BD, we conducted a high-risk design study and recruited 35 affected, 44 unaffected relatives of bipolar probands (age range 15-30 years), matched by age and sex with 49 healthy controls without any personal or family history of psychiatric disorders.

Amygdala and hippocampal volumes in relatives of patients with bipolar disorder: a high-risk study.

Objective: Bipolar disorders (BD) have a strong genetic underpinning, yet no biological vulnerability markers for BD have yet been identified. To test whether amygdala or hippocampal volumes represent an endophenotype for BD, we measured mesiotemporal volumes in young affected and unaffected relatives of patients with BD (high-risk design).

Method: High-risk participants (aged 15 to 30 years) were recruited from families multiply affected with BD.

Subgenual cingulate volumes in offspring of bipolar parents and in sporadic bipolar patients.

Decreased volumes of subgenual cingulate (SGC) have been reported primarily among familial bipolar patients, which is one of the hallmarks of an endophenotype. In order to investigate specificity of SGC volume abnormalities to familial mood disorders and to test whether SGC volumes represent an endophenotype for BD, we measured SGC volumes in young affected and unaffected relatives of bipolar patients (high-risk design) and in sporadic bipolar patients. We included 20 unaffected, 15 affected offspring of bipolar I or bipolar II parents, 18 controls, and 19 sporadic bipolar patients between 15 and 30 years of age.

Striatal volumes in affected and unaffected relatives of bipolar patients--high-risk study.

Background: Striatal volume changes reported in bipolar disorders could represent artifacts of medication or comorbid conditions, or illness related changes, either biological predispositions or consequences of illness burden. We conducted volumetric high-risk study to investigate whether striatal volume changes represent primary biological risk factor for bipolar disorders.

Methods: High-risk (HR) participants (age range 15-30 years) were recruited from families multiply affected with bipolar disorders.

Amygdala volumes in mood disorders--meta-analysis of magnetic resonance volumetry studies.

Background: The amygdala plays an important role in the regulation of emotions and has been implicated in the pathophysiology of mood disorders. Studies of amygdala volumes in mood disorders have been conflicting, with findings of increased, decreased and unchanged amygdala volumes in patients relative to controls. We present the largest meta-analysis of amygdala volumes in mood disorders and the first one to investigate modifying effects of clinical, demographic and methodological variables.

Pituitary volumes in relatives of bipolar patients: high-risk study.

Background: Increased, decreased, as well as unchanged pituitary volumes have been reported in bipolar disorders (BD). It is unclear, whether abnormal pituitary volumes increase vulnerability for BD (primary vulnerability marker), or are secondary to burden of illness. To address this question, we performed the first high-risk study of pituitary volumes in affected and unaffected relatives of bipolar subjects.

Subgenual cingulate volumes in affected and unaffected offspring of bipolar parents.

Background: Bipolar disorders (BD) have a strong genetic underpinning, yet no biological vulnerability markers for BD have been identified. Decreased volumes of subgenual cingulate (SGC) were replicated in familial bipolar patients. Presence of abnormality in unaffected subjects at genetic risk for an illness needs to be established before SGC volumes can be used as an endophenotype.