Verbal memory in mania: effects of clinical state and task requirements.
OBJECTIVE
Manic patients exhibit impaired verbal learning and memory, particularly following longstanding illness. However, it is unclear whether recognition and recall performance are differentially influenced by a manic mood state.


METHODS
To examine this issue, we administered the California Verbal Learning Test and symptom-rating scales to inpatients with pure or mixed mania, euthymic outpatients, and healthy comparison subjects.


RESULTS
An overall performance difference was identified between groups. Manic and euthymic patients performed more poorly than healthy subjects on recall. However, manic patients performed more poorly than euthymic patients and healthy subjects on recognition.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that verbal retrieval deficits are stable vulnerability indicators in bipolar disorder, whereas verbal encoding deficits are manic episode indicators. The known subcortical dysfunction in this disorder may produce stable retrieval deficits while acute mood symptoms attenuate encoding during affective episodes only.
Fleck
David E
DE
Bipolar and Psychotic Disorders Research Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45267-0559, USA. fleckde@email.uc.edu
Shear
Paula K
PK
Zimmerman
Molly E
ME
Getz
Glen E
GE
Corey
Kimberly B
KB
Jak
Amy
A
Lebowitz
Brian K
BK
Strakowski
Stephen M
SM
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D006801:Humans; D007807:Language Tests; D008568:Memory; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D014706:Verbal Learning