Cognitive function in euthymic Bipolar I Disorder

Recent reports have suggested the presence of persistent cognitive impairme nts in patients diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder even after prolonged euthym ic phases. In this work, various domains of cognitive function were examine d in asymptomatic patients diagnosed with Bipolar I Disorder (BDI) in compa rison with healthy subjects. Fifteen otherwise healthy BDI patients with a prior history of psychosis during mania completed a neuropsychological test ing battery after a prolonged asymptomatic remission. Their scores were com pared to those of individually matched healthy subjects with unpaired two-t ailed t-tests at P < 0.01. Relationships between cognitive performance meas ures and clinical variables related to illness severity were also examined with Pearson correlations, P < 0.05. We detected poorer performance on meas ures of verbal learning, executive functioning and motor coordination in BD I patients compared to control volunteers. Scores on tests of executive fun ctioning were negatively correlated with the number of episodes of mania an d depression. Social and occupational scores were also associated with a po orer performance on measures of verbal learning and executive function. Eut hymic BDI patients, therefore, demonstrate reductions in specific cognitive domains even after prolonged asymptomatic phases. Some of these deficits a ppear to be associated with a more severe course of illness and poorer soci al and occupational functioning. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.