White matter microstructure alterations correlate with terminally differentiated CD8+ effector T cell depletion in the peripheral blood in mania: Combined DTI and immunological investigation in the different phases of bipolar disorder

Our data show a combined occurrence of WM and immunological alterations in mania. WM abnormalities highly correlated with reduction in circulating CD8+ T cell subpopulations that are terminally differentiated effector cells prone to tissue migration, suggesting that these T cells could play a role in WM alteration in BD.