Cannabis Use in Affectively Stable Patients With Bipolar Disorder: Effects on Social Cognition, Emotional Processing, and Social Function

Abstract Objective To characterize social cognition, language, and social behavior as potentially shared vulnerability markers in children at familial high-risk of schizophrenia (FHR-SZ) and bipolar disorder (FHR-BP). Methods The Danish High-Risk and Resilience Study VIA7 is a multisite population-based cohort of 522 7-year-old children extracted from the Danish registries. The population-based controls were matched to the FHR-SZ children on age, sex, and municipality. The FHR-BP group followed same inclusion criteria. Data were collected blinded to familial high-risk status. Outcomes were social cognition, language, and social behavior. Results The analysis included 202 FHR-SZ children (girls: 46%), 120 FHR-BP children (girls: 46.7%), and 200 controls (girls: 46.5%). FHR-SZ children displayed significant deficits in language (receptive: d = −0.27, P = .006; pragmatic: d = −0.51, P < .001), social responsiveness (d = −0.54, P < .001), and adaptive social functioning (d = −0.47, P < .001) compared to controls after Bonferroni correction. Compared to FHR-BP children, FHR-SZ children performed significantly poorer on adaptive social functioning (d = −0.29, P = .007) after Bonferroni correction. FHR-BP and FHR-SZ children showed no significant social cognitive impairments compared to controls after Bonferroni correction. Conclusion Language, social responsiveness, and adaptive social functioning deficits seem associated with FHR-SZ but not FHR-BP in this developmental phase. The pattern of results suggests adaptive social functioning impairments may not be shared between FHR-BP and FHR-SZ in this developmental phase and thus not reflective of the shared risk factors for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

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Gray matter volume covariance networks are associated with altered emotional processing in bipolar disorder: a source-based morphometry study

Brain Imaging and Behavior ◽

10.1007/s11682-021-00541-5 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Alessandro Miola ◽

Nicolò Trevisan ◽

Arcangelo Merola ◽

Francesco Folena Comini ◽

Daniele Olivo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Bipolar Disorder ◽

Gray Matter ◽

Emotional Processing ◽

Gray Matter Volume ◽

Occipital Cortex ◽

Type I ◽

Matter Volume ◽

Visuospatial Processing ◽

Neural Signature ◽

Structural Networks

AbstractWidespread regional gray matter volume (GMV) alterations have been reported in bipolar disorder (BD). Structural networks, which are thought to better reflect the complex multivariate organization of the brain, and their clinical and psychological function have not been investigated yet in BD. 24 patients with BD type-I (BD-I), and 30 with BD type-II (BD-II), and 45 controls underwent MRI scan. Voxel-based morphometry and source-based morphometry (SBM) were performed to extract structural covariation patterns of GMV. SBM components associated with morphometric differences were compared among diagnoses. Executive function and emotional processing correlated with morphometric characteristics. Compared to controls, BD-I showed reduced GMV in the temporo-insular-parieto-occipital cortex and in the culmen. An SBM component spanning the prefrontal-temporal-occipital network exhibited significantly lower GMV in BD-I compared to controls, but not between the other groups. The structural network covariance in BD-I was associated with the number of previous manic episodes and with worse executive performance. Compared to BD-II, BD-I showed a loss of GMV in the temporal-occipital regions, and this was correlated with impaired emotional processing. Altered prefrontal-temporal-occipital network structure could reflect a neural signature associated with visuospatial processing and problem-solving impairments as well as emotional processing and illness severity in BD-I.

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Recent Perceived Stress, Amygdala Reactivity to Acute Psychosocial Stress, and Alcohol and Cannabis Use in Adolescents and Young Adults With Bipolar Disorder

Frontiers in Psychiatry ◽

10.3389/fpsyt.2021.767309 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Vanessa Le ◽

Dylan E. Kirsch ◽

Valeria Tretyak ◽

Wade Weber ◽

Stephen M. Strakowski ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Bipolar Disorder ◽

Substance Use ◽

Young Adults ◽

Perceived Stress ◽

Psychosocial Stress ◽

Acute Stress ◽

Cannabis Use ◽

Typically Developing ◽

Amygdala Activation ◽

Amygdala Reactivity

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.

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