Decision making in euthymic bipolar I and bipolar II disorders.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychiatry
• Cognitive Psychology

Background:

• Bipolar disorder (BD) is a mood disorder characterized by distinct episodes of mania and depression.
• Cognitive deficits are common in BD, but decision-making abilities in euthymic states require further investigation.
• Understanding decision-making in BD is crucial for identifying potential biomarkers and treatment targets.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare decision-making abilities in euthymic patients with bipolar disorder (BD) types I and II against healthy controls.
• To examine the relationship between a history of suicide attempts and decision-making performance in BD patients.
• To determine if decision-making is a reliable trait marker for bipolar disorder.

Main Methods:

• Eighty-five euthymic patients diagnosed with BD-I or BD-II and 34 healthy controls participated.
• Cognitive assessments included measures of verbal memory, attention, and executive functions.
• Decision-making was evaluated using the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT).

Main Results:

• Patients with BD exhibited poorer performance in verbal memory, attention, and executive functions compared to controls.
• No significant differences in decision-making (IGT performance) were observed between euthymic BD patients and healthy controls.
• BD patients with a history of suicide attempts demonstrated significantly lower performance on the IGT than those without such a history.

Conclusions:

• Euthymic bipolar disorder (BD) patients possess intact decision-making abilities, indicating it may not serve as a reliable trait marker.
• Impaired decision-making in BD is associated with an increased vulnerability to suicidal behavior.
• These findings highlight the importance of assessing decision-making deficits in the context of suicide risk in bipolar disorder.