BACKGROUND: Cognitive dysfunction persists in the euthymic phase of bipolar disorder and may provide a marker of underlying neuropathology and disease vulnerability. This study aimed to replicate a deficit in sustained attention in euthymic bipolar patients and investigate sustained attention in first-degree relatives of bipolar probands and in remitted patients with major depressive disorder. METHODS: The rapid visual information processing (RVIP) task was used to measure sustained attention in 15 euthymic patients with bipolar disorder and 15 control subjects in experiment 1 and in 27 first-degree relatives of bipolar probands, 15 remitted patients with major depressive disorder, and 46 control subjects in experiment 2. RESULTS: Sustained attention deficit was confirmed in the euthymic bipolar patients in experiment 1, but the deficit was not statistically significant in remitted major depressed patients or in the relatives of bipolar probands. CONCLUSIONS: A deficit of sustained attention is not present in patients with recurrent major depression tested during remission nor is it discriminable in the first-degree relatives of bipolar probands. Thus, the confirmed abnormality in euthymic bipolar patients may be acquired as a consequence of bipolar illness. However, future studies of relatives will require larger sample sizes to exclude or utilize small genetic effects.
BACKGROUND:Cognitive dysfunction persists in the euthymic phase of bipolar disorder and may provide a marker of underlying neuropathology and disease vulnerability. This study aimed to replicate a deficit in sustained attention in euthymic bipolarpatients and investigate sustained attention in first-degree relatives of bipolar probands and in remitted patients with major depressive disorder. METHODS: The rapid visual information processing (RVIP) task was used to measure sustained attention in 15 euthymic patients with bipolar disorder and 15 control subjects in experiment 1 and in 27 first-degree relatives of bipolar probands, 15 remitted patients with major depressive disorder, and 46 control subjects in experiment 2. RESULTS:Sustained attention deficit was confirmed in the euthymic bipolarpatients in experiment 1, but the deficit was not statistically significant in remitted major depressedpatients or in the relatives of bipolar probands. CONCLUSIONS: A deficit of sustained attention is not present in patients with recurrent major depression tested during remission nor is it discriminable in the first-degree relatives of bipolar probands. Thus, the confirmed abnormality in euthymic bipolarpatients may be acquired as a consequence of bipolar illness. However, future studies of relatives will require larger sample sizes to exclude or utilize small genetic effects.
Authors: Fadi T Maalouf; Crystal Klein; Luke Clark; Barbara J Sahakian; Edmund J Labarbara; Amelia Versace; Stefanie Hassel; Jorge R C Almeida; Mary L Phillips Journal: Neuropsychologia Date: 2010-02-20 Impact factor: 3.139
Authors: Kristen K Ellard; Aishwarya K Gosai; Julia M Felicione; Amy T Peters; Conor V Shea; Louisa G Sylvia; Andrew A Nierenberg; Alik S Widge; Darin D Dougherty; Thilo Deckersbach Journal: Bipolar Disord Date: 2018-11-22 Impact factor: 6.744
Authors: Alison K Merikangas; Lihong Cui; Monica E Calkins; Tyler M Moore; Ruben C Gur; Raquel E Gur; Kathleen R Merikangas Journal: J Affect Disord Date: 2017-03-10 Impact factor: 4.839
Authors: Kelly A Ryan; Shervin Assari; Kaley Angers; David F Marshall; Kristin Hinrichs; Rebecca Easter; Pallavi Babu; Bethany D Pester; Scott A Langenecker; Melvin G McInnis Journal: Bipolar Disord Date: 2017-09-14 Impact factor: 6.744
Authors: Ariel G Gildengers; Benoit H Mulsant; Amy Begley; Sati Mazumdar; Adriana V Hyams; Charles F Reynolds Iii; David J Kupfer; Meryl A Butters Journal: Bipolar Disord Date: 2009-08-28 Impact factor: 6.744