BACKGROUND: This study investigated the relationship between prior course of illness and neuropsychological deficits in relatively high functioning outpatients with bipolar disorder. METHOD: Forty-nine bipolar I or II patients, in a relatively euthymic state during treatment with mood stabilizers, were administered neuropsychological tests that assessed a variety of functions, including verbal memory, sustained attention and vigilance, and intelligence. A detailed retrospective life chart was completed for each patient using the NIMH Life Chart Method" to define variables reflecting duration and severity of illness, and frequency of episodes. RESULTS: Stepwise multiple regression analyses show that several different measures of a more severe course of prior illness related to greater duration and a larger number of affective episodes and hospitalizations were associated with poorer performance on tests of abstraction, attention and memory. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that bipolar patients with a more severe prior course of illness and a greater number of affective episodes have more impaired neuropsychological functioning. The direction of causality and the pathophysiological mechanisms remain to be explored.
BACKGROUND: This study investigated the relationship between prior course of illness and neuropsychological deficits in relatively high functioning outpatients with bipolar disorder. METHOD: Forty-nine bipolar I or II patients, in a relatively euthymic state during treatment with mood stabilizers, were administered neuropsychological tests that assessed a variety of functions, including verbal memory, sustained attention and vigilance, and intelligence. A detailed retrospective life chart was completed for each patient using the NIMH Life Chart Method" to define variables reflecting duration and severity of illness, and frequency of episodes. RESULTS: Stepwise multiple regression analyses show that several different measures of a more severe course of prior illness related to greater duration and a larger number of affective episodes and hospitalizations were associated with poorer performance on tests of abstraction, attention and memory. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that bipolarpatients with a more severe prior course of illness and a greater number of affective episodes have more impaired neuropsychological functioning. The direction of causality and the pathophysiological mechanisms remain to be explored.
Authors: L Lavagnino; B Cao; B Mwangi; M-J Wu; M Sanches; G B Zunta-Soares; F Kapczinski; J Soares Journal: Acta Psychiatr Scand Date: 2015-01-31 Impact factor: 6.392
Authors: Rothanthi Daglas; Kelly Allott; Murat Yücel; Lisa P Henry; Craig A Macneil; Melissa K Hasty; Michael Berk; Sue M Cotton Journal: Int J Bipolar Disord Date: 2017-12-18
Authors: Kathryn E Lewandowski; Bruce M Cohen; Matcheri S Keshavan; Sarah H Sperry; Dost Ongür Journal: Schizophr Res Date: 2013-06-19 Impact factor: 4.939