FUNCTIONAL BRAIN ORGANIZATION IN BIPOLAR AFFECTIVE PATIENTS DURING MANIC PHASE AND AFTER RECOVERY - A DIGIT DICHOTIC-LISTENING STUDY

To study the functional organization of the cerebral hemispheres in pa tients with bipolar psychosis using a verbal dichotic listening test f or pairs of digits 26 patients were tested twice, during the acute exp ression of manic phase and after recovery. The patient group during th e manic phase did not support the expected right-ear advantage of norm al subjects on verbal dichotic tests but showed a statistically signif icant left-ear advantage, which shifted after recovery toward the typi cal normal asymmetry. Comparing patients during the manic phase and af ter recovery showed that the left-ear advantage as well as the shift i n right-ear advantage after recovery was due to the reduction of left- ear performance. From the over-all neuropsychological findings for the se patients mania may be hypothesized to be characterized by overactiv ation of the right hemisphere. This phaenomenon seems associated with acuteness of the symptoms of the psychotic disorder.