Neural Functional Connectivity During Emotional Processing in Bipolar Disorder: Relations with Coping Drinking Motives and Alcohol Use

The rate of alcohol use disorders (AUDs) in bipolar disorder is 3-5 times greater than in the general population. While some evidence suggests individuals with bipolar disorder may misuse alcohol as a coping mechanism, the neural correlates of coping drinking motives have not been investigated in this population. This study examined relations between coping drinking motives and functional connectivity (FC) among anterior-paralimbic regions of interest during emotional processing in youth with bipolar disorder and those that are typically developing and investigated relations with alcohol use.