Insular cortex volume in established bipolar affective disorder: A preliminary MRI study

This structural magnetic resonance imaging study investigated insular cortex volume in 26 patients with bipolar I disorder and 24 matched controls. While insular volume did not differ between these groups, exploratory analyses demonstrated that the number of depressive episodes correlated negatively with the anterior insular volume in the patients, suggesting it may have a role in the pathophysiology of bipolar disorder.