Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40274973›Full record

SynthesisNeuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology2025

Associations between structural brain measures and cognitive function in bipolar disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Brett D M Jones, Julia Gallucci, On Yee Jones, Peter Zhukovsky, Stanley Wong, Karina Lakhani, Rayyan Farooqui, Lauren Stirpe, Ahmed K Eltom Mohamed, Paramveer Love and 5 more

Abstract readSystematic ReviewMeta-Analysis
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Review
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

15 authors.

Brett D M JonesUniversity of Toronto, Department of Psychiatry, Toronto, ON, Canada. brett.jones@camh.ca.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3248-1059
Julia GallucciUniversity of Toronto, Department of Psychiatry, Toronto, ON, Canada.
On Yee JonesPrincess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Peter ZhukovskyUniversity of Toronto, Department of Psychiatry, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Stanley WongUniversity of Toronto, Department of Psychiatry, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Karina LakhaniQueen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.
Rayyan FarooquiQueen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.
Lauren StirpeMcMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
Ahmed K Eltom MohamedWestern University, London, ON, Canada.
Paramveer LoveWestern University, London, ON, Canada.
Aristotle N VoineskosUniversity of Toronto, Department of Psychiatry, Toronto, ON, Canada.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0156-0395
Colin HawcoUniversity of Toronto, Department of Psychiatry, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Abigail OrtizUniversity of Toronto, Department of Psychiatry, Toronto, ON, Canada.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6886-767X
Benoit H MulsantUniversity of Toronto, Department of Psychiatry, Toronto, ON, Canada.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0303-6450
M Ishrat HusainUniversity of Toronto, Department of Psychiatry, Toronto, ON, Canada.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5771-5750

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Bipolar disorder (BD) is a chronic condition characterized by recurrent mood episodes and persistent cognitive deficits that span multiple domains, ultimately impacting daily functioning. Understanding the neural underpinnings of these impairments is crucial. In a systematic review and meta-analysis examining 80 studies (with 50 meeting criteria for meta-analysis) of adults with BD, relationships between structural brain measures and cognitive performance were evaluated. Participants were diagnosed according to standard criteria, underwent structural and diffusion-weighted MRI, and completed standardized cognitive assessments. The meta-analyses indicated significant associations between both grey matter and white matter indices and cognitive functioning, reflected in moderate effect sizes. Notably, these associations exhibited substantial heterogeneity. Meta-regression revealed that bipolar subtype and current mood state moderated the observed brain-cognition relationships, with bipolar I and euthymic individuals showing higher associations with grey matter metrics. Cognitive domain differences also played a key role, indicating that certain cognitive functions are more strongly linked to structural brain measures than others. Brain networks emerged as a global influence on cognition, with limited differences in pairwise comparisons. Age, sex, psychosis, and mania were not found to significantly moderate these relationships. Overall, this work suggests that structural alterations in grey and white matter in individuals with BD may contribute meaningfully to cognitive difficulties, while brain networks may provide a broad integrative framework for these associations. These findings underscore the importance of considering both global and specific neural factors when exploring the pathophysiology of cognitive impairment in BD.

Indexed as

Bipolar DisorderBrainCognitionGray MatterHumansMagnetic Resonance ImagingWhite Matter

Identifiers

PMID40274973
PMCPMC12170891

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.