Adolescent mood disorder patients have enlarged pituitary glands

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Adolescent mood disorder patients have enlarged pituitary glands

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11 February 2008

MedWire News: Adolescent patients with bipolar disorder and unipolar

depression show enlargements in pituitary gland volume on magnetic

resonance imaging (MRI) scans relative to mentally healthy controls,

a small study has demonstrated.

Lead researcher MacMaster (Wayne State University, Detroit,

Michigan, USA) and colleagues say their findings are consistent with

the occurrence of a " neuroendocrine dysfunction " in the early stages

of mood disorder development.

The researchers performed MRI scans on 10 patients with bipolar

disorder, aged an average of 16.78 years, and 10 patients with

unipolar depression, aged an average of 17.20 years, all of whom were

currently experiencing symptoms of clinical depression.

The scans of patients with mood disorders were compared with scans 10

mentally healthy controls matched for age and gender.

The boundaries of the pituitary gland were determined by reference to

neuroanatomical atlases and measurement methods were adapted from

previously published neuroimaging studies.

Patients with bipolar disorder showed on average 37% larger pituitary

gland volume than mentally healthy controls, while patients with

unipolar depression showed a 31% increase in volume.

In agreement with previous studies, mentally healthy female subjects

had had on average 34% larger pituitary gland volume than mentally

healthy male subjects, although this gender difference was not

apparent in subjects with mood disorders.

" Our results suggest that abnormalities in pituitary gland anatomy

may represent a central neuroendocrine dysfunction in children and

adolescents with major depression and those with bipolar disorder, "

say MacMaster et al.

Calling for further studies, the researchers say that it would be

useful to monitor plasma cortisol levels in mood disorder patients

and perform longitudinal studies using several scans over the course

of illness to study disease state cycling and response to treatment.

Source: Bipolar Disord 2008; 10: 101-104

©Current Medicine Group Ltd

[Guest guest]

Adolescent mood disorder patients have enlarged pituitary glands

<< Back

11 February 2008

MedWire News: Adolescent patients with bipolar disorder and unipolar

depression show enlargements in pituitary gland volume on magnetic

resonance imaging (MRI) scans relative to mentally healthy controls,

a small study has demonstrated.

Lead researcher MacMaster (Wayne State University, Detroit,

Michigan, USA) and colleagues say their findings are consistent with

the occurrence of a " neuroendocrine dysfunction " in the early stages

of mood disorder development.

The researchers performed MRI scans on 10 patients with bipolar

disorder, aged an average of 16.78 years, and 10 patients with

unipolar depression, aged an average of 17.20 years, all of whom were

currently experiencing symptoms of clinical depression.

The scans of patients with mood disorders were compared with scans 10

mentally healthy controls matched for age and gender.

The boundaries of the pituitary gland were determined by reference to

neuroanatomical atlases and measurement methods were adapted from

previously published neuroimaging studies.

Patients with bipolar disorder showed on average 37% larger pituitary

gland volume than mentally healthy controls, while patients with

unipolar depression showed a 31% increase in volume.

In agreement with previous studies, mentally healthy female subjects

had had on average 34% larger pituitary gland volume than mentally

healthy male subjects, although this gender difference was not

apparent in subjects with mood disorders.

" Our results suggest that abnormalities in pituitary gland anatomy

may represent a central neuroendocrine dysfunction in children and

adolescents with major depression and those with bipolar disorder, "

say MacMaster et al.

Calling for further studies, the researchers say that it would be

useful to monitor plasma cortisol levels in mood disorder patients

and perform longitudinal studies using several scans over the course

of illness to study disease state cycling and response to treatment.

Source: Bipolar Disord 2008; 10: 101-104

©Current Medicine Group Ltd

[Guest guest]

Adolescent mood disorder patients have enlarged pituitary glands

<< Back

11 February 2008

MedWire News: Adolescent patients with bipolar disorder and unipolar

depression show enlargements in pituitary gland volume on magnetic

resonance imaging (MRI) scans relative to mentally healthy controls,

a small study has demonstrated.

Lead researcher MacMaster (Wayne State University, Detroit,

Michigan, USA) and colleagues say their findings are consistent with

the occurrence of a " neuroendocrine dysfunction " in the early stages

of mood disorder development.

The researchers performed MRI scans on 10 patients with bipolar

disorder, aged an average of 16.78 years, and 10 patients with

unipolar depression, aged an average of 17.20 years, all of whom were

currently experiencing symptoms of clinical depression.

The scans of patients with mood disorders were compared with scans 10

mentally healthy controls matched for age and gender.

The boundaries of the pituitary gland were determined by reference to

neuroanatomical atlases and measurement methods were adapted from

previously published neuroimaging studies.

Patients with bipolar disorder showed on average 37% larger pituitary

gland volume than mentally healthy controls, while patients with

unipolar depression showed a 31% increase in volume.

In agreement with previous studies, mentally healthy female subjects

had had on average 34% larger pituitary gland volume than mentally

healthy male subjects, although this gender difference was not

apparent in subjects with mood disorders.

" Our results suggest that abnormalities in pituitary gland anatomy

may represent a central neuroendocrine dysfunction in children and

adolescents with major depression and those with bipolar disorder, "

say MacMaster et al.

Calling for further studies, the researchers say that it would be

useful to monitor plasma cortisol levels in mood disorder patients

and perform longitudinal studies using several scans over the course

of illness to study disease state cycling and response to treatment.

Source: Bipolar Disord 2008; 10: 101-104

©Current Medicine Group Ltd

[Guest guest]

Adolescent mood disorder patients have enlarged pituitary glands

<< Back

11 February 2008

MedWire News: Adolescent patients with bipolar disorder and unipolar

depression show enlargements in pituitary gland volume on magnetic

resonance imaging (MRI) scans relative to mentally healthy controls,

a small study has demonstrated.

Lead researcher MacMaster (Wayne State University, Detroit,

Michigan, USA) and colleagues say their findings are consistent with

the occurrence of a " neuroendocrine dysfunction " in the early stages

of mood disorder development.

The researchers performed MRI scans on 10 patients with bipolar

disorder, aged an average of 16.78 years, and 10 patients with

unipolar depression, aged an average of 17.20 years, all of whom were

currently experiencing symptoms of clinical depression.

The scans of patients with mood disorders were compared with scans 10

mentally healthy controls matched for age and gender.

The boundaries of the pituitary gland were determined by reference to

neuroanatomical atlases and measurement methods were adapted from

previously published neuroimaging studies.

Patients with bipolar disorder showed on average 37% larger pituitary

gland volume than mentally healthy controls, while patients with

unipolar depression showed a 31% increase in volume.

In agreement with previous studies, mentally healthy female subjects

had had on average 34% larger pituitary gland volume than mentally

healthy male subjects, although this gender difference was not

apparent in subjects with mood disorders.

" Our results suggest that abnormalities in pituitary gland anatomy

may represent a central neuroendocrine dysfunction in children and

adolescents with major depression and those with bipolar disorder, "

say MacMaster et al.

Calling for further studies, the researchers say that it would be

useful to monitor plasma cortisol levels in mood disorder patients

and perform longitudinal studies using several scans over the course

of illness to study disease state cycling and response to treatment.

Source: Bipolar Disord 2008; 10: 101-104

©Current Medicine Group Ltd