TY - JOUR
T1 - Normal pituitary volumes in children and adolescents with bipolar disorder
T2 - A magnetic resonance imaging study
AU - Hua, Hsuan Chen
AU - Nicoletti, Mark
AU - Sanches, Marsal
AU - Hatch, John P.
AU - Sassi, Roberto B.
AU - Axelson, David
AU - Brambilla, Paolo
AU - Keshavan, Matcheri S.
AU - Ryan, Neal
AU - Birmaher, Boris
AU - Soares, Jair C.
PY - 2004
Y1 - 2004
N2 - The volume of the pituitary gland in adults with bipolar disorder has previously been reported to be smaller than that of healthy controls. Such abnormalities would be consistent with the HPA dysfunction reported in this illness. We conducted a study of children and adolescents with bipolar disorder to determine whether size abnormalities in the pituitary gland are already present early in illness course. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) morphometric analysis of the pituitary gland was carried out in 16 DSM-IV children and adolescents with bipolar disorder (mean age ± sd = 15.5 ± 3.4 years) and 21 healthy controls (mean age ± sd = 16.9 ± 3.8 years). Subjects underwent a 1.5 T MRI, with 3-D Spoiled Gradient Recalled (SPGR) acquisition. There was no statistically significant difference between pituitary gland volumes of bipolar patients compared to healthy controls (ANCOVA, age, gender, and ICV as covariates; F = 1.77, df = 1,32, P = .19). There was a statistically significant direct relationship between age and pituitary gland volume in both groups (r = .59, df =17, P = .007 for healthy controls; r = .61, df = 12, P = .008 for bipolar patients). No evidence of size abnormalities in the pituitary gland was found in child and adolescent bipolar patients, contrary to reports involving adult bipolar patients. This suggests that anatomical abnormalities in this structure may develop later in illness course as a result of continued HPA dysfunction.
AB - The volume of the pituitary gland in adults with bipolar disorder has previously been reported to be smaller than that of healthy controls. Such abnormalities would be consistent with the HPA dysfunction reported in this illness. We conducted a study of children and adolescents with bipolar disorder to determine whether size abnormalities in the pituitary gland are already present early in illness course. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) morphometric analysis of the pituitary gland was carried out in 16 DSM-IV children and adolescents with bipolar disorder (mean age ± sd = 15.5 ± 3.4 years) and 21 healthy controls (mean age ± sd = 16.9 ± 3.8 years). Subjects underwent a 1.5 T MRI, with 3-D Spoiled Gradient Recalled (SPGR) acquisition. There was no statistically significant difference between pituitary gland volumes of bipolar patients compared to healthy controls (ANCOVA, age, gender, and ICV as covariates; F = 1.77, df = 1,32, P = .19). There was a statistically significant direct relationship between age and pituitary gland volume in both groups (r = .59, df =17, P = .007 for healthy controls; r = .61, df = 12, P = .008 for bipolar patients). No evidence of size abnormalities in the pituitary gland was found in child and adolescent bipolar patients, contrary to reports involving adult bipolar patients. This suggests that anatomical abnormalities in this structure may develop later in illness course as a result of continued HPA dysfunction.
KW - Adolescents
KW - Bipolar disorder
KW - Magnetic resonance imaging
KW - Pituitary
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U2 - 10.1002/da.20044
DO - 10.1002/da.20044
M3 - Article
C2 - 15643632
AN - SCOPUS:13444310629
VL - 20
SP - 182
EP - 186
JO - Depression and Anxiety
JF - Depression and Anxiety
SN - 1091-4269
IS - 4
ER -