COULD IMPAIRMENTS OF CELLULAR PLASTICITY AND RESILIENCE BE ASSOCIATED WITH MITOCHONDRIAL DYSFUNCTION IN BPD?
Although BPD is not a classical neurodegenerative disorder, structural neuroimaging studies have demonstrated regional volumetric reductions; these include reduced gray matter volumes in areas of the orbital and medial prefrontal cortex (PFC), temporal lobe, and enlargement of the third ventricle (reviewed by Manji et al, 2003). Recent postmortem neuropathological studies are complementary, showing reductions in cortex volume, region- and layer-specific reductions in number, density, and/or size of neurons and glial cells in the subgenual PFC, orbital cortex, dorsal anterolateral PFC, amygdala, and in basal ganglia and dorsal raphe nuclei in individuals with BPD and other severe mood disorders compared with controls (Manji et al, 2003). It is not currently known whether these alterations constitute developmental abnormalities conferring vulnerability to severe mood episodes, compensatory changes to other pathogenic processes, or the sequelae of recurrent affective episodes. However, a
