Am J Psychiatry 1995; 152:915-918
Copyright © 1995 by American Psychiatric Association
Abnormal frontal lobe phosphorous metabolism in bipolar disorder
RF Deicken, G Fein and MW Weiner
Magnetic Resonance Unit, Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, San Francisco, CA, USA.
OBJECTIVE: Abnormalities in frontal lobe phosphorous metabolism in patients
with bipolar disorder have been reported, but many of the patients studied
were receiving lithium. In this study, medication-free bipolar patients
were examined to determine abnormalities in frontal lobe high-energy
phosphorous metabolism. METHOD: In vivo phosphorous-31 magnetic resonance
spectroscopic imaging was performed on 12 unmedicated, euthymic bipolar
patients and 16 healthy comparison subjects. The percentages of total
phosphorous signal for phosphomonoesters, inorganic phosphate,
phosphodiesters, phosphocreatine, and beta-ATP were calculated. RESULTS: In
relation to the comparison group, the patients with bipolar disorder had
significantly lower phosphomonoester values and higher phosphodiester
values in both the left and right frontal lobes. The patients also had a
significantly higher right-to-left ratio of frontal lobe phosphocreatine.
No other differences in phosphorous metabolites or lateralized asymmetries
were noted. CONCLUSIONS: This preliminary study provides support for
abnormal frontal lobe phosphorous metabolism in bipolar disorder.
