title: Sources of declarative memory impairment in bipolar disorder: mnemonic processes and clinical features.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There is mounting evidence that declarative memory processes are impaired in patients with bipolar disorder. However, predictors of the observed impairment are not well understood. This study seeks to: (i) better characterize the nature of declarative memory impairment in bipolar disorder, and (ii) determine the relationship between clinical variables and memory function in bipolar disorder.
  
  
  METHODS
  49 adult patients with bipolar disorder in varying mood states and 38 demographically matched healthy participants completed a comprehensive neurocognitive battery assessing general cognitive functioning, processing speed, and declarative memory. The California verbal learning test was used to characterize learning and memory functions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Although patients with bipolar disorder utilized a similar semantic clustering strategy to healthy controls, they recalled and recognized significantly fewer words than controls, suggesting impaired encoding of verbal information. In contrast, lack of rapid forgetting suggests relative absence of a storage deficit in bipolar patients. While severity of mood symptomatology and illness duration were not associated with task performance, gender and family history significantly affected memory function.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results suggest that declarative memory impairments in bipolar patients: (1) are consistent with deficits in learning, but do not appear to be related to different organizational strategies during learning, and (2) do not appear to be secondary to clinical state, but rather may be associated with the underlying pathophysiology of the illness.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, 300 Building Medical Plaza, Suite 2265, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA. cbearden@mednet.ucla.edu
authors.forename: Carrie E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Bearden
authors.forename: David C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Glahn
authors.forename: E Serap
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Monkul
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Barrett
authors.forename: Pablo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Najt
authors.forename: Simerjit
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kaur
authors.forename: Marsal
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sanches
authors.forename: Veronica
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Villarreal
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bowden
authors.forename: Jair C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Soares
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D001931:Brain Mapping; D005260:Female; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000503:physiopathology; D005838:Genotype; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000502:physiology; D011939:Mental Recall / Q000502:physiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D012153:Retention, Psychology / Q000502:physiology; D012737:Sex Factors; D013067:Speech Perception / Q000502:physiology; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000503:physiopathology; D014706:Verbal Learning / Q000502:physiology