Brain computed tomography in geriatric manic disorder

Background: Excess brain changes in geriatric manic patients have been hypothesized. Few neuroimaging studies are available. Methods: Brain computed tomography scans in geriatric patients with manic disorder (n = 30) were compared to those in same-age control subjects (n = 18). Ratings of cortical sulcal widening (CSW), lateral ventricle–brain ratio (VBR), and related linear measures were determined. Results: Patients had greater CSW scores (Exact p =.002) and VBR (t = 2.51, df = 46, p< .02) compared to control subjects. CSW was positively associated with age at illness onset (rs = .46, p< .01) and age at first manic episode (rs = .53, p< .005). VBR was poorly correlated with CSW and was not associated with these indices of illness course. Conclusions: These findings support the need for further investigation of relationships between brain structure and clinical features in geriatric mania.