What question did this study set out to answer?

The study aimed to explore white matter alterations in individuals with early-onset bipolar disorder and their relationship with psychiatric symptoms.

January 18, 2026

White matter alterations in the corpus callosum and visual cortical regions associated with depressive and psychotic symptoms in early‐onset bipolar disorder

Key Points

The study aimed to explore white matter alterations in individuals with early-onset bipolar disorder and their relationship with psychiatric symptoms.
Eighty-seven individuals with early-onset bipolar disorder and 57 healthy controls underwent diffusion MRI.
Whole-brain white matter changes were analyzed using TractSeg and tract-based spatial statistics.
Partial correlations assessed the relationship between altered tracts and psychiatric symptoms.
Individuals with early-onset bipolar disorder showed lower fractional anisotropy in various tracts compared to healthy controls.
Significant correlations were found between altered white matter and depressive symptoms in multiple brain regions.
Visual-related alterations were associated with greater positive symptoms, particularly in those experiencing visual hallucinations.

Abstract

Aim White matter (WM) alterations in the corpus callosum (CC) and visual cortex have been implicated in early psychosis, with the visual regions particularly linked to psychotic symptoms. Whether similar WM patterns occur in early‐onset bipolar disorder (EOBD) remains unclear. This study investigated WM alterations in EOBD and their associations with psychiatric symptoms. Methods Eighty‐seven individuals with EOBD and 57 healthy controls (HCs) underwent diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) and psychiatric assessments. Whole‐brain WM changes between groups were examined using TractSeg and tract‐based spatial statistics. Partial correlations with multiple comparison corrections assessed associations between altered tracts and symptoms. Results Compared with HCs, EOBD showed widespread lower fractional anisotropy (FA) and altered other WM parameters, particularly in the CC and visual‐related tracts. Lower FA in the anterior midbody CC ( r = −0.307, q = 0.038), right superior longitudinal fascicle I ( r = −0.305, q = 0.038), thalamo‐parietal ( r = −0.315, q = 0.038), and parieto‐occipital pontine tracts ( r = −0.329, q = 0.038) correlated with greater depressive symptoms. Lower FA in the left inferior fronto‐occipital fascicle ( r = −0.371, q = 0.030), left optic radiation ( r = −0.381, q = 0.030), and left thalamo‐occipital tract ( r = −0.392, q = 0.030) were associated with greater positive symptoms. These visual‐related lower FAs were found more frequently in individuals with visual hallucinations. Conclusion EOBD was associated with WM abnormalities in the CC and visual pathways linked to depressive symptoms and visual hallucinations, supporting its characterization as a neurodevelopmentally distinct subtype with persistent WM dysconnectivity.

KI fragen

Bookmark