Sex differences in cerebral blood flow among adolescents with bipolar disorder

Rachel H. B. Mitchell, Anahit Grigorian, Andrew Robertson, Simina Toma, Nicholas J. Luciw, Sudhir Karthikeyan, Henri J. M. M. Mutsaerts, Lisa Fiksenbaum, Arron W. S. Metcalfe, Bradley J. MacIntosh, Benjamin I. Goldstein

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

Background: Abnormalities in cerebral blood flow (CBF) are common in bipolar disorder (BD). Despite known differences in CBF between healthy adolescent males and females, sex differences in CBF among adolescents with BD have never been studied. Objective: To examine sex differences in CBF among adolescents with BD versus healthy controls (HC). Methods: CBF images were acquired using arterial spin labeling (ASL) perfusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in 123 adolescents (72 BD: 30M, 42F; 51 HC: 22M, 29F) matched for age (13–20 years). Whole brain voxel-wise analysis was performed in a general linear model with sex and diagnosis as fixed factors, sex–diagnosis interaction effect, and age as a covariate. We tested for main effects of sex, diagnosis, and their interaction. Results were thresholded at cluster forming p = 0.0125, with posthoc Bonferroni correction (p = 0.05/4 groups). Results: A main effect of diagnosis (BD > HC) was observed in the superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF), underlying the left precentral gyrus (F =10.24 (3), p < 0.0001). A main effect of sex (F > M) on CBF was detected in the precuneus/posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), left frontal and occipital poles, left thalamus, left SLF, and right inferior longitudinal fasciculus (ILF). No regions demonstrated a significant sex-by-diagnosis interaction. Exploratory pairwise testing in regions with a main effect of sex revealed greater CBF in females with BD versus HC in the precuneus/PCC (F = 7.1 (3), p < 0.01). Conclusion: Greater CBF in female adolescents with BD versus HC in the precuneus/PCC may reflect the role of this region in the neurobiological sex differences of adolescent-onset BD. Larger studies targeting underlying mechanisms, such as mitochondrial dysfunction or oxidative stress, are warranted.

Original languageEnglish
JournalBipolar disorders
Early online date2023
DOIs
Publication statusE-pub ahead of print - 2023

Keywords

  • adolescents
  • bipolar disorder
  • cerebral blood flow
  • sex differences

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