Assessment of Cognitive Functions in Bipolar Disorder Patients

Abstract

Bipolar disorders are chronic disorders with a high relapse rate; the lifetime prevalence is approximately 4%. Bipolar patients may experience cognitive impairment at various phases of the illness, even during the euthymic phase of the disease.Aims: To assess cognitive abilities in individuals with bipolar 1 disorder during remission and to investigate the correlation between cognitive functions and the clinical profile and demographic characteristics of the patients.Setting and Design: This is a case-control study involving patients diagnosed with bipolar 1 disorder in the euthymic phase, as per DSM-5 diagnostic criteria. Patients and methods: This study included 36 bipolar 1 disorder patients in the euthymic phase diagnosed according to DSM-5 diagnostic criteria. Also, it included 36 cross-matched healthy individuals as control subjects. Results: Patients with bipolar1 disorder demonstrated considerably lesser cognitive functions during remission than the control group. The bipolr1 disorder severity and recurrence are significantly inversely correlated to cognitive function. Conclusion: Bipolar1 disorder patients frequently have cognitive impairment at all phases of the illness, even during euthymia. Cognitive impairment is frequently seen as a fundamental feature of bipolar disorder. The severity and recurrence of the illness appear to play a key influence in cognitive impairments.