Mapping Corpus Callosum Morphology in Twin Pairs Discordant for Bipolar Disorder

Callosal volume reduction has been observed in patients with bipolar disorder, but whether these deficits reflect genetic vulnerability to the illness remains unresolved. Here, we used computational methods to map corpus callosum abnormalities in a population-based sample of twin pairs discordant fo...

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Published in:Cerebral cortex (New York, N.Y. 1991) N.Y. 1991), 2011-10, Vol.21 (10), p.2415-2424
Main Authors: Bearden, Carrie E., van Erp, Theo G. M., Dutton, Rebecca A., Boyle, Christina, Madsen, Sarah, Luders, Eileen, Kieseppa, Tuula, Tuulio-Henriksson, Annamari, Huttunen, Matti, Partonen, Timo, Kaprio, Jaakko, Lönnqvist, Jouko, Thompson, Paul M., Cannon, Tyrone D.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Bipolar Disorder - diagnosis
Bipolar Disorder - genetics
Bipolar Disorder - pathology
Brain Mapping - methods
Cohort Studies
Corpus Callosum - pathology
Diseases in Twins - diagnosis
Diseases in Twins - genetics
Diseases in Twins - pathology
Female
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Registries
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Summary:Callosal volume reduction has been observed in patients with bipolar disorder, but whether these deficits reflect genetic vulnerability to the illness remains unresolved. Here, we used computational methods to map corpus callosum abnormalities in a population-based sample of twin pairs discordant for bipolar disorder. Twenty-one probands with bipolar I disorder (mean age 44.4 ± 7.5 years; 48% female), 19 of their non-bipolar co-twins, and 34 demographically matched control twin individuals underwent magnetic resonance imaging. Three-dimensional callosal surface models were created to visualize its morphologic variability and to localize group differences. Neurocognitive correlates of callosal area differences were additionally investigated in a subsample of study participants. Bipolar (BPI) probands, but not their co-twins, showed significant callosal thinning and area reduction, most pronounced in the genu and splenium, relative to healthy twins. Altered callosal curvature was additionally observed in BPI probands. In bipolar probands and co-twins, genu and splenium midsagittal areas were significantly correlated with verbal processing speed and response inhibition. These findings suggest that aberrant connections between cortical regions-possibly reflecting decreased myelination of white matter tracts-may be involved in bipolar pathophysiology. However, findings of callosal thinning appear to be disease related, rather than reflecting genetic vulnerability to bipolar illness.
ISSN:1047-3211
1460-2199
DOI:10.1093/cercor/bhr030