In people with first-episode bipolar disorder, moderate to high quality evidence suggests small decreases in whole brain grey matter. In youth with bipolar disorder, moderate quality evidence found decreases in the left orbitofrontal cortex, right claustrum, and right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex.
In the brain image scans of 97 people with high genetic risk of bipolar disorder, the researchers noted a decrease in connectivity between regions of the brain devoted to emotion processing and cognition during the two years between scans.
Chemical imbalance in the brain
There is some evidence that bipolar disorder may be associated with chemical imbalances in the brain. The chemicals responsible for controlling the brain's functions are called neurotransmitters, and include noradrenaline, serotonin and dopamine.
The more specific finding from recent diffusion imaging studies of adults with bipolar disorder is abnormally reduced fractional anisotropy, paralleled in many cases by abnormally increased radial diffusivity, in frontally-situated white matter(80-85), including white matter tracts connecting prefrontal cortical and ...
Brain scans alone cannot be used to diagnose a mental disorder, such as autism, anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, or bipolar disorder. In some cases, a brain scan might be used to rule out other medical illnesses, such as a tumor, that could cause symptoms similar to a mental disorder, such as depression.
To diagnose bipolar disorder, a doctor performs a physical exam, asks about your symptoms, and recommends blood testing to determine if another condition, such as hypothyroidism, is causing your symptoms. If the doctor does not find an underlying cause of your symptoms, he or she performs a psychological evaluation.
Bipolar disorder may reduce gray matter volume
Gray matter contributes in some way to every aspect of human life. A 2016 meta-analysis found a significantly lower volume of gray matter in the brains of people with bipolar disorder compared with those of people without the condition.
In bipolar disorder, structural brain abnormalities in the prefrontal cortex have been confirmed in postmortem studies60,61 and with structural MRI. For example, the subgenual portion of the anterior cingulate cortex was reduced in volume in patients with bipolar disorder with a family history of affective disorder.
Schizophrenia & Bipolar Are Neurobiological Disorders - The Evidence : Mental Illness Policy Org.
Conclusion. MRIs and related technology are becoming increasingly adept at diagnosing mental illness. Currently, magnetic resonance imaging can play an important role alongside the observations of physicians and other mental health care professionals.
An MRI can see subarachnoids hemorrhages, bleeding in the brain, old parts of brain damage that where parts of the brain have basically form scarring. That will show up on an MRI often. But if it's at the very smallest level, which is called Axonify shearing, most of the time that will not show up.
Currently, doctors do not use brain images to diagnose bipolar disorder. However, as research advances, more evidence may help doctors use MRI scans or other imaging technology to accurately diagnose bipolar disorder.
Bipolar disorder is a lifelong mental condition. There's no cure, but you can manage it with medication, talk therapy, and other forms of treatment.
Bipolar disorder often runs in families, and research suggests this is mostly explained by heredity—people with certain genes are more likely to develop bipolar disorder than others. Many genes are involved, and no one gene can cause the disorder. But genes are not the only factor.
No one knows exactly what causes bipolar disorder. Research suggests that a combination of factors could increase your chance of developing it. This includes physical, environmental and social conditions.
People with bipolar experience both episodes of severe depression and episodes of mania – overwhelming joy, excitement or happiness, huge energy, a reduced need for sleep, and reduced inhibitions. The experience of bipolar is uniquely personal. No two people have exactly the same experience.
Cyclothymia, or cyclothymic disorder, causes mood changes – from feeling low to emotional highs. Cyclothymia has many similarities to bipolar disorder.
Cyclothymia symptoms alternate between emotional highs and lows. The highs of cyclothymia include symptoms of an elevated mood (hypomanic symptoms). The lows consist of mild or moderate depressive symptoms. Cyclothymia symptoms are similar to those of bipolar I or II disorder, but they're less severe.
Diagnosing bipolar disorder usually involves a thorough examination of your physical health. This is to rule out a physical cause or other health concerns. It also involves an assessment of your mental state and the careful assessment of your symptoms and life experiences.