Magnetic Resonance Imaging Studies in Early Onset Bipolar Disorder: An Updated Review

Janine E. Terry, University of Utah
Melissa P. Lopez-Larson, University of Utah
Jean A. Frazier, University of Massachusetts Medical School

Abstract

Over the past 5–10 years, advances in neuroimaging methods and study designs have begun to appear in the literature of early-onset bipolar disorder (onset before 18 years of age). This article contains an updated review of the literature regarding neuroimaging in youths with bipolar disorder (BPD), highlighting important new study designs and techniques. Overall, structural, functional (fMRI) and magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) report consistent abnormalities in regions of the frontal lobe and limbic structures. Functional MRI and MRS studies also frequently report striatal and thalamic abnormalities in early-onset BPD. Future neuroimaging studies in youths with BPD should include longitudinal studies incorporating multimodal neuroimaging techniques.