Paper Title
Characterization of Hippocampal and Thalamic Volumes in Pediatrics With Bipolar Disorder or Schizophrenia Spectrum Diagnosis
Abstract
Specific brain regions, hippocampus and thalamus, were segmented and characterized to understand the effects of
bipolar disorder (BD) and schizophrenia (SZ), which are mental disorders with abnormal brain development during late
adolescence or early adulthood. Structural magnetic resonance imaging data (obtained on 1.5 Tesla) of brain scans of 103
youths (4-17 years old) were segmented for desired brain regions using FSL program and its features. Diagnostic categories
of BD with psychosis (BDwP; N = 19), BD without psychosis (BDwoP; N = 35), SZ (N = 20), and healthy controls (HC; 29)
were analyzed using ANCOVA along with gender and sides of desired brain region while controlling for age and total brain
volume (obtained using ANOVA). Significant reduction of average total brain volumes were observed for BDwP and
BDwoP compared to HC and significant gender difference was found as males had greater volumes. Hippocampal volumes
was smaller for only BDwoP, while BDwP and BDwoP showed smaller thalamic volumes. SZ group did not show any
significant reductions. Interactions were also found for diagnostic categories and gender for whole brain volumes as well as
sides of hippocampal volumes and gender. Reduction of hippocampus and thalamus volumes in youths’ brains with BD or
SZ provides insight into understanding the developmental patterns of neural deficits in mental disorders during a crucial
growth stage.