Cerebellar Morphological Differences in Bipolar Disorder Type I

Abstract

Background: The neural underpinnings of bipolar disorder (BD) remain poorly understood. The cerebellum is ideally positioned to modulate emotional regulation circuitry yet has been understudied in BD. Previous studies have suggested differences in cerebellar activity and metabolism in BD, however findings on cerebellar structural differences remain contradictory. Methods: We collected 3T anatomical MRI scans from participants with (N = 131) and without (N = 81) BD type I. Differences in cerebellar volumes were assessed along with factors that influence the results. Results: The cerebellar cortex was smaller bilaterally in participants with BD. Polygenic propensity score (bipolar N = 103, control N = 64) did not predict any cerebellar volumes, suggesting that non-genetic factors may have greater influence on the cerebellar volume difference we observed in BD. Cerebellar white matter volumes increased with more adverse childhood events, but we did not observe any associations with parental psychiatric illness. We also evaluated time from onset and symptom burden and found no associations with cerebellar volumes, suggesting neurodevelopment may differ prior to onset. Finally, we found taking sedatives was associated with larger cerebellar white matter and non-significantly larger cortical volume. Limitations: This study was cross-sectional, limiting interpretation of possible mechanisms. Most of our participants were White, which could limit the generalizability. Additionally, we did not account for potential polypharmacy interactions. Conclusions: These findings suggest that external influences, such as medications, may influence cerebellum structure in BD and may mask underlying differences. Accounting for medication may be critical for consistent findings in future studies.