Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2015 Jun;25(5):415-24.
doi: 10.1089/cap.2014.0110.

Vitamin D3 Supplemental Treatment for Mania in Youth with Bipolar Spectrum Disorders

Elif M Sikoglu  1   2   3 , Ana A Liso Navarro  1   2   3   4 , Debra Starr  2   3 , Yael Dvir  2   3 , Benjamin Udoka Nwosu  5 , Suzanne M Czerniak  1 , Ryan C Rogan  1 , Martha C Castro  2   3 , Richard A E Edden  6   7 , Jean A Frazier  2   3   5 , Constance M Moore  1   2   3   8
Affiliations

Vitamin D3 Supplemental Treatment for Mania in Youth with Bipolar Spectrum Disorders

Elif M Sikoglu et al. J Child Adolesc Psychopharmacol. 2015 Jun.

Abstract

Objective: We aimed to determine the effect of an open-label 8 week Vitamin D3 supplementation on manic symptoms, anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) glutamate, and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in youth exhibiting symptoms of mania; that is, patients with bipolar spectrum disorders (BSD). We hypothesized that an 8 week Vitamin D3 supplementation would improve symptoms of mania, decrease ACC glutamate, and increase ACC GABA in BSD patients. Single time point metabolite levels were also evaluated in typically developing children (TD).

Methods: The BSD group included patients not only diagnosed with BD but also those exhibiting bipolar symptomology, including BD not otherwise specified (BD-NOS) and subthreshold mood ratings (Young Mania Rating Scale [YMRS] ≥8 and Clinical Global Impressions - Severity [CGI-S] ≥3). Inclusion criteria were: male or female participants, 6-17 years old. Sixteen youth with BSD exhibiting manic symptoms and 19 TD were included. BSD patients were asked to a take daily dose (2000 IU) of Vitamin D3 (for 8 weeks) as a supplement. Neuroimaging data were acquired in both groups at baseline, and also for the BSD group at the end of 8 week Vitamin D3 supplementation.

Results: Baseline ACC GABA/creatine (Cr) was lower in BSD than in TD (F[1,31]=8.91, p=0.007). Following an 8 week Vitamin D3 supplementation, in BSD patients, there was a significant decrease in YMRS scores (t=-3.66, p=0.002, df=15) and Children's Depression Rating Scale (CDRS) scores (t=-2.93, p=0.01, df=15); and a significant increase in ACC GABA (t=3.18, p=0.007, df=14).

Conclusions: Following an 8 week open label trial with Vitamin D3, BSD patients exhibited improvement in their mood symptoms in conjunction with their brain neurochemistry.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

<b>FIG. 1.</b>
FIG. 1.
Representative proton spectra with anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) voxel placement for (A) point-resolved spectroscopy (PRESS) and (B) Mescher-Garwood point-resolved spectroscopy sequence (MEGA-PRESS). White squares superimposed on the horizontal brain slices represent the location of the voxels. For B) the signal around the GABA resonance was fit using a Gaussian function as shown inside the square (zoomed signal and the fit).
<b>FIG. 2.</b>
FIG. 2.
(A) Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS), (B) Children's Depression Rating Scale (CDRS), (C) blood serum 25(OH)D levels, (D) anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) glutamate concentrations, (E) ACC γ-aminobutyric acid/creatine (GABA/Cr) concentrations (group averages±standard errors) for typically developing children and adolescents (TD) and patients with bipolar spectrum disorder (BSD) before and after 8 week Vitamin D3 supplementation. *p<0.05.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Ahmadi S, Mirzaei K, Hossein-Nezhad A, Shariati G:Vitamin D receptor FokI genotype may modify the susceptibility to schizophrenia and bipolar mood disorder by regulation of dopamine D1 receptor gene expression. Minerva Med 103:383–391, 2012 - PubMed
    1. American Psychiatric Association: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th ed., Text Revision. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association; 2000
    1. Bak LK, Schousboe A, Waagepetersen HS: The glutamate/GABA-glutamine cycle: Aspects of transport, neurotransmitter homeostasis and ammonia transfer. J Neurochem 98:641–653, 2006 - PubMed
    1. Benes FM, Berretta S: GABAergic interneurons: Implications for understanding schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Neuropsychopharmacology 25:1–27, 2001 - PubMed
    1. Benes FM, Todtenkopf MS, Logiotatos P, Williams M: Glutamate decarboxylase(65)–immunoreactive terminals in cingulate and prefrontal cortices of schizophrenic and bipolar brain. J Chem Neuroanat 20:259–269, 2000 - PubMed

Publication types