Visuomotor processing and emotional intelligence in euthymic bipolar disorder: Insights from joystick tracking and...

Deficits in visuomotor processing (VMP) and emotional intelligence (EI) are two features of bipolar disorder (BD), yet their relationship remains underexplored. This study compares the interplay between VMP and EI in euthymic BD patients and healthy controls (HCs).

VMP was assessed in 84 euthymic BD patients and 73 healthy controls (HCs) using a joystick-based tracking task. Measurements included accuracy and learning progression. EI was evaluated using the Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT), which assesses the ability to perceive, understand and manage emotions.

Euthymic BD patients exhibited significantly lower visuomotor accuracy and slower motor learning compared to HCs (p < 0.01). The analysis of the MSCEIT scores indicated that BD patients showed impairments in the strategic EI domain (p = 0.003) but not in the experiential domain. A positive correlation was observed between visuomotor performance and EI only in BD patients (r = 0.23, p = 0.044), particularly in strategic EI components.

The results highlight a neurocognitive-emotional interplay in BD, wherein deficits in VMP are associated with impairments in EI. Understanding this relationship could inform targeted interventions to enhance both motor and social-cognitive functions in BD patients.