1. White matter lesions and season of birth of patients with bipolar affective disorder.
- Author
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Moore, P. Brian, El-Badri, Selim M., Cousins, David, Shepherd, Debra J., Young, Allan H., McAllister, Victor L., Ferrier, I. Nicol, Moore, P B, El-Badri, S M, Cousins, D, Shepherd, D J, Young, A H, McAllister, V L, and Ferrier, I N
- Subjects
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BRAIN , *SEASON of birth , *BIPOLAR disorder , *PRECANCEROUS conditions - Abstract
Objective: It is established that patients with bipolar disorder have an excess of births in winter or early spring. The authors investigated a link between season of birth and white matter lesions with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).Method: T(2)-weighted and proton density MRI scans were examined for 79 patients with bipolar disorder (DSM-IV) for the presence of deep subcortical and periventricular white matter lesions. The birth seasons of patients with white matter lesions were compared with those of the general population.Results: Thirteen subjects exhibited deep subcortical white matter lesions, of whom nine (69.2%) were born in the winter months (January to March). Seven of these patients remained symptomatic, despite adequate treatment for more than 2 years.Conclusions: Birth season, illness outcome, and deep subcortical white matter lesions appear to be closely linked. Deep subcortical white matter lesions may be a marker of a toxic or infective insult in utero. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]- Published
- 2001
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