Table 1.
Demographic characteristics of the BD patients and the control subjects.
| BD patients (N = 23) | Controls (N = 18) | Comparison | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Characteristics | Mean ± SD | Mean ± SD | t/χ2 | 95% CI | p | |
| Lower | Upper | |||||
| Age (years) | 36.7 ± 12.3 | 30.8 ± 9.3 | 1.92 | −0.07 | 13.74 | 0.052 |
| Gender, female, n (%) | 15 (65.2) | 10 (55.6) | 1.77 | 0.219 | ||
| YMRS scores | 0.8 ± 1.2 | 0.2 ± 0 | 2.67 | 0.19 | 1.37 | 0.011* |
| HDRS scores | 2.2 ± 1.2 | 0.2 ± 0.7 | 3.59 | 0.85 | 3.05 | 0.001* |
| VPA concentration (mg/L) | 62.3 ± 8.7 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Duration of VPA use (years) | 1.8 ± 1.6 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Duration of illness (years) | 5.2 ± 4.3 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Previous depressive episodes, n | 2.9 ± 1.7 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Previous hypomanic episodes, n | 1.9 ± 1.1 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Proportion of receiving concomitant medications | ||||||
| Antidepressant, n (%) | 11 (47.8) | – | – | – | – | – |
| Benzodiazepine, n (%) | 15 (65.2) | |||||
| Striatal DAT availability | ||||||
| Right | 1.53 ± 0.18 | 1.39 ± 0.26 | 2.08 | 0.01 | 0.28 | 0.045* |
| Left | 1.52 ± 0.16 | 1.35 ± 0.22 | 2.94 | 0.05 | 0.29 | 0.005* |
| Total | 1.52 ± 0.17 | 1.37 ± 0.23 | 2.54 | 0.03 | 0.28 | 0.015* |
Abbreviations: BD, bipolar disorder; DAT, dopamine transporter; HAMD, 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale; VPA, valproate; YMRS, Young Mania Rating Scale.
*
p < 0.05.