Cognitive correlates of Antisaccade Task performance in bipolar disorder.
Reuben Dyer1, Susan L Rossell2, Andrea Phillipou3
1Department of Psychiatry, Melbourne Medical School, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
Psychiatry Research
|July 2, 2026
Summary
Antisaccade task deficits in bipolar disorder (BD) are linked to specific cognitive impairments, not global decline. Deficits in attention and processing speed affect error rates, while working memory impacts latency in BD patients.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Psychology
- Psychiatry
Background:
- The Antisaccade Task measures inhibitory control and is used to assess cognitive function in bipolar disorder (BD).
- Previous meta-analyses show mixed results regarding antisaccade impairments in BD, with significant variability in effect sizes, especially in euthymic samples.
- This variability suggests potential cognitive heterogeneity within BD populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the relationship between antisaccade performance and other cognitive domains in individuals with BD.
- To determine if antisaccade impairments in BD are confined to specific cognitive subgroups.
Main Methods:
- 152 participants (44 BD outpatients, 108 healthy controls) completed the Antisaccade Task and cognitive assessments (working memory, attention, processing speed, flexibility, inhibition).
- Correlations between antisaccade performance (error rate, latency) and cognitive measures were analyzed.
- BD participants were subgrouped into cognitively equivalent and reduced groups relative to controls for comparative analysis.
Main Results:
- No significant group differences in antisaccade error rate or latency between BD and healthy controls overall.
- Antisaccade latency correlated with working memory; error rate correlated with immediate attention and processing speed in the BD group.
- Cognitively reduced BD subgroups exhibited significantly worse antisaccade performance compared to cognitively equivalent BD and healthy controls.
Conclusions:
- Antisaccade task underperformance in BD appears specific to individuals with deficits in particular cognitive domains.
- Error rates are associated with immediate attention and processing speed deficits.
- Latency impairments are linked to working memory deficits in the BD population.
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