SPECT FINDINGS IN PATIENTS WITH PRIMARY MANIA

Five patients with a manic episode and 7 age-comparable control subjec ts were studied with single-photon emission computed tomography and [T c-99m]d,l-hexamethylpropyleneamine oxime. Manic patients showed signif icantly lower blood flow in the basal portion of the right temporal lo be compared with normal control subjects. Moreover, manic patients sho wed a left-right asymmetry (a significantly lower perfusion in the rig ht versus left temporal basal cortex), as well as a dorsal-ventral asy mmetry (a significantly lower perfusion in the right temporal basal ve rsus dorsal cortex). These findings suggest that the right basotempora l cortex may play an important role in the production of primary mania .