Lucy J Robinson1, John M Gray1, I Nicol Ferrier1,2, Peter Gallagher1,2. 1. a Institute of Neuroscience (Academic Psychiatry) , Newcastle University , Newcastle upon Tyne , UK. 2. b Newcastle University Institute for Ageing , Newcastle University , Newcastle upon Tyne , UK.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: Euthymic patients with bipolar disorder (BD) show executive impairment. Assisting cognitive function with non-pharmacological strategies has not been widely explored in BD. In schizophrenia, concomitant verbalisation (self-monitoring) during executive tests improved performance. The present pilot study assesses the effects of self-monitoring whilst completing the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) in BD patients. METHODS: Thirty-six euthymic BD patients and 42 healthy controls participated. Twenty patients with BD and 20 controls received standard administration and 16 patients and 22 controls used self-monitoring during the test. RESULTS: ANCOVA revealed a significant "group by administration" interaction. Patients who received the standard administration were significantly worse than healthy controls (trials administered: p = .012, η p (2) = 0.17; trials to first category: p = .046, η p (2) = 0.11; failure to maintain set: p = .003, η p (2) = 0.23). BD patients who self-monitored performed significantly better than patients receiving the standard administration (trials to first category: p = .020, η p (2) = 0.17) and showed no significant differences in performance compared to controls. CONCLUSION: Self-monitoring deserves further investigation as a tool that may be helpful for patients with BD. Further exploration of the utility, generalisability, and stability of the effects of self-monitoring is needed.
OBJECTIVES: Euthymic patients with bipolar disorder (BD) show executive impairment. Assisting cognitive function with non-pharmacological strategies has not been widely explored in BD. In schizophrenia, concomitant verbalisation (self-monitoring) during executive tests improved performance. The present pilot study assesses the effects of self-monitoring whilst completing the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) in BD patients. METHODS: Thirty-six euthymic BD patients and 42 healthy controls participated. Twenty patients with BD and 20 controls received standard administration and 16 patients and 22 controls used self-monitoring during the test. RESULTS: ANCOVA revealed a significant "group by administration" interaction. Patients who received the standard administration were significantly worse than healthy controls (trials administered: p = .012, η p (2) = 0.17; trials to first category: p = .046, η p (2) = 0.11; failure to maintain set: p = .003, η p (2) = 0.23). BD patients who self-monitored performed significantly better than patients receiving the standard administration (trials to first category: p = .020, η p (2) = 0.17) and showed no significant differences in performance compared to controls. CONCLUSION: Self-monitoring deserves further investigation as a tool that may be helpful for patients with BD. Further exploration of the utility, generalisability, and stability of the effects of self-monitoring is needed.