Johnson CP, et al. - Researchers used quantitative mapping of T1 relaxation in the rotating frame (T1ρ), which is a magnetic resonance imaging technique, to investigate brain differences across euthymic, depressed, and manic mood states of bipolar disorder. Compared to the healthy control group, all three mood state groups showed increased T1ρ relaxation times in the cerebellum. Furthermore, reduced T1ρ relaxation times in and around the basal ganglia were noted in the depressed and manic groups compared to the control and euthymic groups. Observations thereby linked the cerebellum and basal ganglia in the pathophysiology of bipolar disorder and its mood states.