Browsing by Author "Lippard, Elizabeth T. C."

Now showing 1 - 4 of 4
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Alcohol Use and Prefrontal Cortex Volume Trajectories in Young Adults with Mood Disorders and Associated Clinical Outcomes
    (MDPI, 2022-02-22) Kirsch, Dylan E.; Tretyak, Valeria; Le, Vanessa; Huffman, Ansley; Fromme, Kim; Strakowski, Stephen M.; Lippard, Elizabeth T. C.; Psychiatry, School of Medicine
    Background: Alcohol use in the course of mood disorders is associated with worse clinical outcomes. The mechanisms by which alcohol use alters the course of illness are unclear but may relate to prefrontal cortical (PFC) sensitivity to alcohol. We investigated associations between alcohol use and PFC structural trajectories in young adults with a mood disorder compared to typically developing peers. Methods: 41 young adults (24 with a mood disorder, agemean = 21 ± 2 years) completed clinical evaluations, assessment of alcohol use, and two structural MRI scans approximately one year apart. Freesurfer was used to segment PFC regions of interest (ROIs) (anterior cingulate, orbitofrontal cortex, and frontal pole). Effects of group, alcohol use, time, and interactions among these variables on PFC ROIs at baseline and follow-up were modeled. Associations were examined between alcohol use and longitudinal changes in PFC ROIs with prospective mood. Results: Greater alcohol use was prospectively associated with decreased frontal pole volume in participants with a mood disorder, but not typically developing comparison participants (time-by-group-by-alcohol interaction; p = 0.007); however, this interaction became a statistical trend in a sensitivity analysis excluding one outlier in terms of alcohol use. Greater alcohol use and a decrease in frontal pole volume related to longer duration of major depression during follow-up (p’s < 0.05). Conclusion: Preliminary findings support more research on alcohol use, PFC trajectories, and depression recurrence in young adults with a mood disorder including individuals with heavier drinking patterns.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Neural Functional Connectivity Changes to Psychosocial Stress in Young Adults with Bipolar Disorder and Preliminary Associations with Clinical Trajectories
    (Wiley, 2022) Kirsch, Dylan E.; Preston, Alex; Tretyak, Valeria; Le, Vanessa; Weber, Wade; Strakowski, Stephen M.; Lippard, Elizabeth T. C.; Psychiatry, School of Medicine
    Background: Stress-related mechanisms are implicated in the pathophysiology of bipolar disorder and may contribute to heterogeneity in illness course. Yet, there is a lack of study investigating the neural mechanisms underlying the stress response in this condition. This study investigated changes in amygdala activation and functional connectivity in response to acute psychosocial stress in young adults with bipolar disorder and explored relations with clinical phenotype and prospective mood symptoms. Methods: 42 young adults [19 with bipolar disorder, agemean ± SD =21.4 ± 2.2 years] completed a modified version of the Montreal Imaging Stress Task. Amygdala activation and functional connectivity with prefrontal cortex (PFC) regions of interest was calculated for control and stress conditions. Main effects of group, condition, and group by condition interaction on amygdala activation and connectivity were modeled. A subset of bipolar participants completed 1-year follow-up assessments. Relations between neural responses to stress with concurrent substance use and prospective mood symptoms were explored. Results: There were no between-group differences in amygdala activation or functional connectivity during the control condition. Increased right amygdala-right rostral PFC (rPFC) functional connectivity to stress was observed in bipolar disorder, compared to typically developing controls. In bipolar disorder, greater increase in right amygdala-right rPFC functional connectivity to stress was associated with less frequent cannabis use, and prospectively with shorter duration and lower severity of depression symptoms over follow-up. Conclusion: Results from this preliminary study suggest differences in frontolimbic functional connectivity responses to stress in young adults with bipolar disorder and associations with cannabis use and prospective mood symptoms.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Recent Perceived Stress, Amygdala Reactivity to Acute Psychosocial Stress, and Alcohol and Cannabis Use in Adolescents and Young Adults With Bipolar Disorder
    (Frontiers Media, 2021-11-15) Le, Vanessa; Kirsch, Dylan E.; Tretyak, Valeria; Weber, Wade; Strakowski, Stephen M.; Lippard, Elizabeth T. C.; Psychiatry, School of Medicine
    Background: Psychosocial stress negatively affects the clinical course of bipolar disorder. Studies primarily focused on adults with bipolar disorder suggest the impact of stress is progressive, i.e., stress response sensitizes with age. Neural mechanisms underlying stress sensitization are unknown. As stress-related mechanisms contribute to alcohol/substance use disorders, variation in stress response in youth with bipolar disorder may contribute to development of co-occurring alcohol/substance use disorders. This study investigated relations between psychosocial stress, amygdala reactivity, and alcohol and cannabis use in youth with bipolar disorder, compared to typically developing youth. Methods: Forty-two adolescents/young adults [19 with bipolar disorder, 23 typically developing, 71% female, agemean ± SD = 21 ± 2 years] completed the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Daily Drinking Questionnaire modified for heaviest drinking week, and a modified Montreal Imaging Stress functional MRI Task. Amygdala activation was measured for both the control and stress conditions. Main effects of group, condition, total PSS, and their interactions on amygdala activation were modeled. Relationships between amygdala response to acute stress with recent alcohol/cannabis use were investigated. Results: Greater perceived stress related to increased right amygdala activation in response to the stress, compared to control, condition in bipolar disorder, but not in typically developing youth (group × condition × PSS interaction, p = 0.02). Greater amygdala reactivity to acute stress correlated with greater quantity and frequency of alcohol use and frequency of cannabis use in bipolar disorder. Conclusion: Recent perceived stress is associated with changes in amygdala activation during acute stress with amygdala reactivity related to alcohol/cannabis use in youth with bipolar disorder.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Variation in Rostral Anterior Cingulate Functional Connectivity with Amygdala and Caudate during First-Manic Episode Distinguish Bipolar Young Adults who do not Remit Following Treatment
    (Wiley, 2021) Lippard, Elizabeth T. C.; Weber, Wade; Welge, Jeffrey; Adler, Caleb M.; Fleck, David E.; Almeida, Jorge; DelBello, Melissa P.; Strakowski, Stephen M.; Psychiatry, School of Medicine
    Objectives: Altered activity in the ventrolateral prefrontal and anterior cingulate cortices, as well as subcortical and amygdala projection sites, was previously reported during a first manic episode in youth with bipolar disorder and observed to be associated with treatment response. To extend these findings, we investigated functional connectivity among these regions in first-episode manic participants who remitted after 8 weeks of treatment compared to those who did not. Methods: Forty-two participants with bipolar disorder (60% female) during their first manic episode were recruited and received 8 weeks of treatment. Twenty-one remitted following treatment. Participants completed fMRI scans, at baseline and following 8 weeks of treatment, while performing a continuous performance task with emotional and neutral distractors. A healthy comparison group (n = 41) received fMRI evaluations at the same intervals. Differences in functional connectivity of the amygdala and caudate with the rostral anterior cingulate and ventrolateral prefrontal cortices at baseline (and changes in functional connectivity following treatment) were modeled between groups. Results: At baseline, non-remitters showed an increase in positive connectivity between right anterior cingulate and caudate and a loss of negative connectivity between right anterior cingulate and amygdala, compared to healthy participants. Individuals who remitted following treatment showed an increase in negative connectivity between amygdala and left anterior cingulate 8 weeks following treatment. Conclusions: Results provide evidence of alterations in anterior cingulate amygdala and caudate functional connectivity in bipolar disorder non-remitters during a first manic episode and changes in anterior cingulate functional connectivity associated with remission suggesting targets to predict treatment response.