Effects of inflammation, childhood adversity, and psychiatric symptoms on brain morphometrical phenotypes in bipolar II depression

Yuan Cao; Huan Sun; Paulo Lizano; Gaoju Deng; Xiaoqin Zhou; Hongsheng Xie; Jingshi Mu; Xipeng Long; Hongqi Xiao; Shiyu Liu; Baolin Wu; Qiyong Gong; Changjian Qiu; Zhiyun Jia

doi:10.1017/S0033291723002477

Effects of inflammation, childhood adversity, and psychiatric symptoms on brain morphometrical phenotypes in bipolar II depression

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 06 September 2023

Huan Sun ,

Gaoju Deng ,

Jingshi Mu ,

Hongqi Xiao and

Yuan Cao: Affiliation:
Department of Nuclear Medicine, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, P.R. China Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Jena University Hospital, Jena 07743, Germany Department of Radiology and Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, P.R. China
Huan Sun: Affiliation:
Mental Health Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Sichuan Clinical Medical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Chengdu 610041, P.R. China
Paulo Lizano: Affiliation:
The Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA The Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
Gaoju Deng: Affiliation:
Mental Health Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Sichuan Clinical Medical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Chengdu 610041, P.R. China
Xiaoqin Zhou: Affiliation:
Department of Clinical Research Management, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, P.R. China
Hongsheng Xie: Affiliation:
Department of Nuclear Medicine, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, P.R. China Department of Radiology and Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, P.R. China
Jingshi Mu: Affiliation:
Department of Nuclear Medicine, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, P.R. China Department of Radiology and Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, P.R. China
Xipeng Long: Affiliation:
Department of Nuclear Medicine, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, P.R. China Department of Radiology and Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, P.R. China
Hongqi Xiao: Affiliation:
Mental Health Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Sichuan Clinical Medical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Chengdu 610041, P.R. China
Shiyu Liu: Affiliation:
Mental Health Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Sichuan Clinical Medical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Chengdu 610041, P.R. China
Baolin Wu: Affiliation:
Department of Radiology and Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, P.R. China
Qiyong Gong: Affiliation:
Department of Radiology and Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, P.R. China Department of Radiology, West China Xiamen Hospital of Sichuan University, Xiamen 361021, P.R. China
Changjian Qiu*: Affiliation:
Mental Health Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Sichuan Clinical Medical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Chengdu 610041, P.R. China
Zhiyun Jia*: Affiliation:
Department of Nuclear Medicine, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, P.R. China Department of Radiology and Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, P.R. China
*: Corresponding authors: Changjian Qiu; Email: qiuchangjian@wchscu.cn; Zhiyun Jia; Email: zhiyunjia@hotmail.com
Corresponding authors: Changjian Qiu; Email: qiuchangjian@wchscu.cn; Zhiyun Jia; Email: zhiyunjia@hotmail.com

Article contents

Abstract
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Abstract

Background

The neuroanatomical alteration in bipolar II depression (BDII-D) and its associations with inflammation, childhood adversity, and psychiatric symptoms are currently unclear. We hypothesize that neuroanatomical deficits will be related to higher inflammation, greater childhood adversity, and worse psychiatric symptoms in BDII-D.

Methods

Voxel- and surface-based morphometry was performed using the CAT toolbox in 150 BDII-D patients and 155 healthy controls (HCs). Partial Pearson correlations followed by multiple comparison correction was used to indicate significant relationships between neuroanatomy and inflammation, childhood adversity, and psychiatric symptoms.

Results

Compared with HCs, the BDII-D group demonstrated significantly smaller gray matter volumes (GMVs) in frontostriatal and fronto-cerebellar area, insula, rectus, and temporal gyrus, while significantly thinner cortices were found in frontal and temporal areas. In BDII-D, smaller GMV in the right middle frontal gyrus (MFG) was correlated with greater sexual abuse (r = −0.348, q < 0.001) while larger GMV in the right orbital MFG was correlated with greater physical neglect (r = 0.254, q = 0.03). Higher WBC count (r = −0.227, q = 0.015) and IL-6 levels (r = −0.266, q = 0.015) was associated with smaller GMVs in fronto-cerebellar area in BDII-D. Greater positive symptoms was correlated with larger GMVs of the left middle temporal pole (r = 0.245, q = 0.03).

Conclusions

Neuroanatomical alterations in frontostriatal and fronto-cerebellar area, insula, rectus, temporal gyrus volumes, and frontal-temporal thickness may reflect a core pathophysiological mechanism of BDII-D, which are related to inflammation, trauma, and psychiatric symptoms in BDII-D.

Keywords

bipolar type II depression childhood adversity cortical thickness gray matter volume inflammation

Type: Original Article
Information: Psychological Medicine , Volume 54 , Issue 4 , March 2024 , pp. 775 - 784

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291723002477 [Opens in a new window]
Copyright: Copyright © The Author(s), 2023. Published by Cambridge University Press

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Footnotes

These authors contributed equally to this work.

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