Review of the literature on the use of MRI in psychiatry with a focus on schizophrenia and bipolar and unipolar affective disorder

Abstract

Objectives. Broad neuroimaging studies currently play an important role in the understanding of the principles of the functioning of the central nervous system (CNS). This applies not only to the healthy nervous system, but also to many pathological processes responsible for neurological and psychiatric disease entities. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as a diagnostic imaging method has been used in medicine since the 1970s. Currently, the diagnosis of mental disorders and the choice of treatment methods are based primarily on the patient’s history, a structured interview and ancillary psychological tests. However, there is still a lack of more objective methods that can solve many diagnostic problems. Literature review. The aim of this paper is to present the methods of diagnosis by means of magnetic resonance imaging, helpful in many aspects of work with a patient diagnosed with a mental disorder. The paper reviews the literature on specific MRI techniques, such as volumetry, proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy, diffusion-weighted MR (DMR), fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging), MRI with magnetisation transfer coefficient, and tractography, which may open up new possibilities, also for psychiatry. Because of the large number of papers in this field, the focus was on three psychiatric disorders, i.e. schizophrenia and unipolar and bipolar affective disorder. Conclusions. It seems likely that in future magnetic resonance imaging of the central nervous system may make it possible not only to differentiate between mental disorders or to forecast their course, but also to determine the effectiveness of treatment of mental disorders and to predict possible side effects of the applied pharmacotherapy or electrotherapy.