Reduced Cortical Thicknesses of Adolescents with Bipolar Disorder and Relationship with Brain-derived Neurotrophic Factor


Inal N., ÇAVUŞOĞLU B., Ermis C., TURAN S., Gormez V., KARABAY N.

SCANDINAVIAN JOURNAL OF CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHIATRY AND PSYCHOLOGY, vol.11, no.1, pp.78-86, 2023 (ESCI) identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 11 Issue: 1
  • Publication Date: 2023
  • Doi Number: 10.2478/sjcapp-2023-0008
  • Journal Name: SCANDINAVIAN JOURNAL OF CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHIATRY AND PSYCHOLOGY
  • Journal Indexes: Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI), Psycinfo, Directory of Open Access Journals
  • Page Numbers: pp.78-86
  • Keywords: Brain-derived neurotrophic factor, Cortical thickness, Early-onset bipolar disorder, Neurotrophic factors, FACTOR VAL66MET POLYMORPHISM, HIPPOCAMPAL VOLUMES, MOOD, SCHIZOPHRENIA, CHILDREN, MARKERS, ABNORMALITIES, METAANALYSIS, VALIDITY
  • Bursa Uludag University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

Background: Cortical thickness (CT) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) were widely investigated in bipolar disorder (BD). Previous studies focused on the association between the volume of subcortical regions and neurotrophic factor levels.Objective: In this study, we aimed to evaluate the association of the CT in youth with early-onset BD with BDNF levels as a potential peripheral marker of neuronal integrity.Method: Twenty-three euthymic patients having a clinical diagnosis of BD and 17 healthy subjects as an age-matched control group with neuroimaging and blood BDNF levels were found eligible for CT measurement. A structural magnetic resonance scan (MRI) and timely blood samples were drawn.Results: Youth with BD exhibited lower cortical thickness in caudal part of left (L) middle frontal gyrus, right (R) paracentral gyrus, triangular part of R inferior frontal gyrus, R pericalcarine region, R precentral gyrus, L precentral gyrus, R superior frontal gyrus and L superior frontal gyrus when compared to healthy controls. The effect sizes of these differences were moderate to large (d=0.67-0.98) There was a significant correlation between BDNF levels with caudal part of the R anterior cingulate gyrus (CPRACG) in adolescents with BD (r=0.49, p=0.023).Conclusion: As a special region for mood regulation, the CT of the caudal part of the R anterior cingulate gyrus had a positive correlation with BDNF. Regarding the key role of CPRACG for affective regulation skills, our results should be replicated in future follow-up studies, investigating a predictive neuroimaging biomarker for the early-onset BD.