The Zuckerman-Kuhlman personality questionnaire in bipolar I and II disorders: a preliminary report

Patients with bipolar disorder have tendencies of higher impulsivity and sensation seeking, they might contribute differently to the emotional states of bipolar I (BD I) and II (BD II). We administered the Zuckerman-Kuhlman Personality Questionnaire (ZKPQ), the Plutchik-van Praag Depression Inventory (PVP), the Mood Disorder Questionnaire (MDQ), and the Hypomania Checklist (HCL-32) in 23 patients with BD I, 22 BD II, and 64 healthy volunteers. Both BD I and II scored higher on ZKPQ Impulsive sensation seeking (and its Impulsivity facet), Neuroticism-anxiety and Aggression-hostility, and on PVP and HCL-32 scales than controls did; BD I scored higher on MDQ and General sensation seeking facet than controls did. Compared to BD II, BD I scored higher on Impulsive sensation seeking (and General sensation seeking) and on MDQ. Moreover, General sensation seeking predicted MDQ, and Activity predicted HCL-32 in BD I. Aggression-hostility predicted HCL-32 in BD II. General sensation seeking predicted MDQ and HCL-32, and together with Neuroticism-anxiety, predicted PVP in controls. Our study suggests that Impulsive sensation seeking, and its General sensation seeking facet might help to delineate the two types of bipolar disorder.