Modulation of left anterior cingulate myo-Inositol in Lithium treatment of bipolar disorder

Motivation: There is limited information on anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) myo-inositol (m)I level in medication-free bipolar disorder (BD) patients in depressed state, which can explore role of neuro-inflammation in BD. Goal(s): Investigate modulation of ACC mI level during Li monotherapy. Approach: Patients with BD (depressed state) and healthy controls were scanned at 7-tesla MRI with a semi-LASER sequence at baseline and 2, 8 and 26 weeks from onset of Li monotherapy, and ACC mI level was measured at each time point. Results: mI level decreased in 1st 2 weeks of onset of therapy but the reduction was not observed after 8 weeks. Impact: The preliminary results suggest that decrease in neuro-inflammatory/microglial marker mI during Li monotherapy of depressed BD may be a short term effect. Future studies can investigate if this is specific to depressed state by investigating during manic state also.