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Bilateral hippocampal volume increases after long-term lithium treatment in patients with bipolar disorder: a longitudinal MRI study
Yucel K, McKinnon MC, Taylor VH, Macdonald K, Alda M, Young LT, MacQueen GM.. Psychopharmacology, 2007-08-20
Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models
Rationale The majority of volumetric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies of the hippocampus in patients with bipolar disorder (BD) show no differences in hippocampal volume between patients and healthy controls. Significant variability, however, exists in the medication status of patients included in these studies. In particular, treatment with lithium may exert long-term effects on hippocampal volume, influencing cognitive outcomes in BD patients. Objectives To our knowledge, no longitudinal volumetric study has been performed in patients with BD, which would allow for an examination of whether lithium therapy used to treat BD can exert a long-term effect on hippocampal volume. Materials and methods We examined the effects of lithium on hippocampal volumes and recollective memory performance over a period of 2 to 4 years in 12 patients with BD who had never received pharmacotherapy before lithium initiation. Results We found bilateral increases in volume of the hippocampus over time. We also found some evidence of improvement in verbal memory performance over the 4-year measurement period as assessed by the California Verbal Learning Test. Conclusions Consistent with preclinical literature supporting the neuroprotective effects of lithium, long-term treatment is associated with preservation of recollective memory function and increased hippocampal size in vivo.
Key findings
- Significant variability, however, exists in the medication status of patients included in these studies.
- Results We found bilateral increases in volume of the hippocampus over time.
- Conclusions Consistent with preclinical literature supporting the neuroprotective effects of lithium, long-term treatment is associated with preservation of recollective memory function and increased hippocampal size in vivo.
Study details
- Study designlongitudinal study
- Participants12
- Evidence strengthModerate
How this study scored 59/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a longitudinal study following the same people over time. Scored zero for effect reported and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it. We have no data on journal's citation record, times cited, citations per year, impact for its field and year, cited by studies here, still being cited, senior author's track record, institution's track record and multi-centre collaboration, so those were left out: it earned 34 of the 58 points we could judge it on, which is 59 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Psychopharmacology) |
| Journal's citation record | — / 4 | No journal record from OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Study design | 7 / 12 | A longitudinal study following the same people over time |
| Strength of evidence | 3 / 5 | Rated “moderate” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2007 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 1 / 4 | 12 participants |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | — / 7 | No citation count (not found in OpenAlex) — left out of this score |
| Citations per year | — / 5 | No citation count or no year — left out of this score |
| Impact for its field and year | — / 6 | No field-weighted citation impact (OpenAlex has none yet) — left out of this score |
| Cited by studies here | — / 6 | Not yet checked against this library's citation graph — left out of this score |
| Still being cited | — / 4 | No yearly citation counts — left out of this score |
| Senior author's track record | — / 4 | Senior author's record not available — left out of this score |
| Institution's track record | — / 3 | No institution listed in OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Multi-centre collaboration | — / 3 | Institutions not listed — left out of this score |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 17705060) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Points | 34 / 58 | Scored on 11 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 34 of the 58 points we could judge it on is 59 out of 100. |
| Total | 59 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
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Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record names 7 authors; APA and Vancouver show the first six, BibTeX and the downloads carry all of them. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Yucel, K., McKinnon, M. C., Taylor, V. H., Macdonald, K., Alda, M., Young, L. T., et al. (2007). Bilateral hippocampal volume increases after long-term lithium treatment in patients with bipolar disorder: a longitudinal MRI study. Psychopharmacology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-007-0906-9
Vancouver
Yucel K, McKinnon MC, Taylor VH, Macdonald K, Alda M, Young LT, et al. Bilateral hippocampal volume increases after long-term lithium treatment in patients with bipolar disorder: a longitudinal MRI study. Psychopharmacology. 2007. doi:10.1007/s00213-007-0906-9. PMID: 17705060.
BibTeX
@article{yucel2007-17705060,
author = {Yucel, K. and McKinnon, M. C. and Taylor, V. H. and Macdonald, K. and Alda, M. and Young, L. T. and MacQueen, G. M.},
title = {{Bilateral hippocampal volume increases after long-term lithium treatment in patients with bipolar disorder: a longitudinal MRI study}},
journal = {Psychopharmacology},
year = {2007},
doi = {10.1007/s00213-007-0906-9},
pmid = {17705060},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-007-0906-9}
}
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