Integrative analysis of lithium treatment associated effects on brain structure and peripheral gene expression reveals novel molecular insights into mechanism of action.

ABSTRACT: Lithium is a highly effective medication for bipolar disorder, but its mechanism of action remains unknown. In this study, brain MRI scans and blood samples for gene expression (total of 110 scans and 109 blood samples) were collected from 21 bipolar subjects before and after 2 and 8 weeks of lithium monotherapy and at the same time-points from untreated 16 healthy controls. We used linear mixed-effects models to identify brain structural features and genes with expression changed after lithium treatment, with correction for multiple testing, and correlated their concurrent changes to identify molecular pathways associated with lithium effects. There are significant increases in gray matter fraction, global cortical thickness, and the frontal and parietal cortices after 8 weeks of lithium treatment (corrected p?

SUBMITTER: Anand A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7136209 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature