Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy of Bipolar Disorder

Our first lecture of 2024 is on magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) of bipolar disorder (BPD). Well-known for its depressive, manic, mixed, and euthymic phases, as well as hypomania, BPD is one of the most important and interesting disorders in psychiatry. It is a chronic condition afflicting 1-3% of humanity with high rates of disability and suicide. Despite multiple pharmacotherapeutic options, many patients spend much of their lives symptomatic. This underscores the need for continued probing of the still incompletely understood brain bases of BPD in search of novel interventions. Our speaker, Dr. Jair Soares, runs a center focused specifically on developing new treatments for BPD. A renowned figure in BPD, he has a long track record of impactful MRS research on adult and pediatric BPD. In this lecture, alongside a review of the overall field of MRS of BPD, expect to hear about Dr. Soares’s notable contributions, touching on the role of the hippocampus and other limbic brain structures, the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, disturbed cell membrane metabolism in BPD, val66met polymorphism in BPD, rapid cycling, comorbid PTSD, and the very common BPD-alcohol use disorder comorbidity, among others. Please join us for what promises to be a stimulating update.