Project Summary

Vince Calhoun, Ph.D. (Young Investigator 2004) of the Institute of Living/Hartford Hospital and Yale University School of Medicine, aims to use fMRI brain imaging to distinguish between people with schizophrenia and those with bipolar disorder to help differentiate the conditions. Dr. Calhoun has used fMRI imaging to differentiate schizophrenia from healthy controls with more than 90 percent accuracy by focusing on the superior temporal gyrus, a region in the auditory cortex implicated in schizophrenia. In this new study, he will collect data from patients with bipolar disorder who have psychotic symptoms and compare it to that of matched healthy controls and individuals with schizophrenia. He will also examine fMRI images in patients initially treated and after prolonged treatment. Results from the study have the potential to reveal auditory cortex changes in these two conditions and to provide a quantitative tool for the assessment of psychotic illnesses.

Program Area: MULTIPLE FOCUS AREAS\Bipolar Disorder/Schizophrenia

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