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Neurocognitive impairment in bipolar disorder patients: functional implications
Aliza P Wingo1, Philip D Harvey, Ross J Baldessarini
1Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University, 101 Woodruff Circle NE, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA. aliza.wingo@emory.edu
Bipolar Disorders
|March 10, 2009
Summary
Cognitive impairments in bipolar disorder (BPD) patients are linked to poor functional recovery, even when mood symptoms are stable. This highlights the need for better assessment and rehabilitation strategies for BPD.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
- Cognitive Psychology
Background:
- Functional recovery in bipolar disorder (BPD) patients is often incomplete compared to syndromal or symptomatic recovery.
- Cognitive impairments are increasingly recognized as potential contributors to poor functional outcomes in BPD.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review existing research on the association between cognitive impairment and functional status in bipolar disorder patients.
- To investigate the contribution of cognitive deficits to functional outcomes in both euthymic and non-euthymic BPD individuals.
Main Methods:
- A literature search identified 12 studies evaluating cognitive and functional status in adult BPD patients compared to healthy controls.
- Studies included both euthymic (n=8) and non-euthymic (n=5) BPD patient groups.
- Cognitive status was assessed using standardized neuropsychological tests, while functional status often relied on self-appraisals.
Main Results:
- Neurocognitive impairment was significantly associated with impaired psychosocial functioning in most studies of both euthymic (6/8) and non-euthymic (5/5) BPD patients.
- This association persisted even after adjusting for mood symptoms and other clinical variables.
- A substantial proportion of BPD patients (approximately 55%) were unemployed.
Conclusions:
- Enduring cognitive impairments in BPD patients, even during euthymic periods, are linked to poorer functioning.
- Current studies are limited by subjective functional assessments; objective measures are needed.
- Further research and enhanced rehabilitative interventions are recommended for BPD patients.
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