To Evaluate The Cognitive Functioning In Bipolar Disorders

Abstract

Aim: To evaluate the cognitive functioning in bipolar disorders

Materials and methods:  80 people with bipolar I illness who are in remission at the present time, 80 people who are considered to be healthy served as controls. Participants fulfilled DSM IV-TR criteria for bipolar I disorder, were euthymic at the time of the interview, were between the ages of 18 and 60, could read and write, and provided informed consent. Patients who already had a diagnosable psychiatric or neurological condition were also eliminated. A psychiatrist documented the patient's clinical status using a semi-structured proforma that asked about the patient's socio-demographics, as well as their history of psychiatric symptoms and the results of a comprehensive physical examination.

Results: The mean MMSE score of patients with euthymic Bipolar disorder I was 28.03±3.22, compared to 30.11±1.63 in the control group. We found that 5% of euthymic Bipolar disorder I patients showed neurocognitive abnormalities on the MMSE compared to 0% controls, which was statistically significant (P=0.001). The average time for completion of TMT-A for patients with euthymic Bipolar disorder I was 71.63±11.85 seconds, compared to 41.69±9.31 seconds in the control group. The average time for TMT-B completion in euthymic Bipolar disorder I was 189.52±25.19 seconds, compared to 92.85±11.67 seconds in the control group. The euthymic Bipolar disorder I group's mean FAB score was 14.12±3.03, compared to 17.02±2.11 for the control group.

Conclusion: Patients insight into their condition and their compliance with treatment may be gleaned from their level of cognitive functioning, which also reflects their socio-occupational functioning and ability to live independently.