Neuropsychological performance in euthymic bipolar disorder with and without suicide attempts: a comparative study...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychiatry
• Cognitive Psychology

Background:

• Bipolar disorder (BD) is associated with significant cognitive impairments.
• Understanding the specific neurocognitive profiles of bipolar patients with and without a history of suicide attempts is crucial for targeted interventions.
• Previous research suggests varying degrees of cognitive dysfunction in BD, but direct comparisons between suicide attempt groups are limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the neuropsychological performance of euthymic bipolar patients with a history of suicide attempts (CIS) versus those without (SIS).
• To contrast the cognitive functioning of both bipolar patient groups with healthy controls (HC).
• To identify specific cognitive domains that may differentiate bipolar patients with and without suicide attempt history.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study was conducted with 31 euthymic bipolar patients (15 CIS, 16 SIS) and 46 HC.
• A comprehensive neuropsychological battery was administered, including tests for verbal memory (RAVLT), visuospatial construction (Rey-OFT), working memory (WAIS-III Digits), executive functions (WCST, Stroop), processing speed (TMT-A/B), and verbal fluency (COWAT-FAS).
• Statistical analyses included t-tests for CIS-SIS comparisons and Welch's t-tests for patient-HC comparisons.

Main Results:

• Globally similar performance was observed between CIS and SIS groups in episodic memory, working memory, Stroop, and fluency.
• The only significant difference between patient groups was poorer performance in the WCST categories for the CIS group.
• Both CIS and SIS groups exhibited poorer verbal memory (RAVLT) and slower processing speed (TMT-B) compared to HC. However, CIS patients showed additional deficits in TMT-A and backward digit span, distinguishing them from SIS patients and HC.

Conclusions:

• While the direct difference between CIS and SIS groups was modest, distinct cognitive profiles emerged when compared to healthy controls.
• The findings suggest that deficits in attentional processing speed and working memory may be more pronounced in bipolar patients with a history of suicide attempts.
• These exploratory results warrant replication in larger samples and longitudinal designs to confirm the differential cognitive impact of suicide attempt history in bipolar disorder.