Brain imaging differences between bipolar and unipolar depression

Distinct neural markers may help differentiate bipolar disorder depression from unipolar depression.

• Numerous studies indicate different activation patterns in brain regions, including the amygdala and prefrontal cortex, during emotion- and cognition-related tasks between bipolar disorder and unipolar depression.
• Bipolar disorder shows a stronger functional connectivity in default mode and frontoparietal networks compared to unipolar depression.
• Differences in gray matter volume have been observed in regions such as the anterior cingulate cortex and hippocampus between bipolar and unipolar depression.
• Bipolar disorder is associated with a thinner dorsolateral prefrontal cortex compared to unipolar depression.
• Reduced integrity of the anterior part of the corpus callosum and posterior cingulum has been reported in bipolar disorder relative to unipolar depression.
• Pattern classification analyses using neuroimaging data have achieved a moderate level of accuracy in distinguishing between bipolar and unipolar depression.

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