Normal cerebral asymmetry in bipolar patients.

Reversal of normal cerebral asymmetry has been reported to be more frequent in children with higher cortical dysfunction and in schizophrenics, in whom it has clinical significance as well. As there are few studies of bipolar patients, we attempted to determine if significant reversal would be found in a clearly diagnosed sample of bipolar patients. As technical differences may account for varying results, we used two previously reported methods and a modified technique. Correlations of computed tomography (CT) findings with neuropsychological variables (Halstead Reitan Battery and WAIS subtests) were also studied. Bipolars and controls did not differ on any CT measure, nor were there meaningful correlations between asymmetry and neuropsychological variables. If if is confirmed that schizophrenics have increased reversed cerebral asymmetry but bipolars do not, it may point to an important difference, as all other CT abnormalities initially described in schizophrenics are now also noted in bipolar patients.