Impairment of executive function but not memory in first-degree relatives of patients with bipolar I disorder and in euthymic patients with unipolar depression.
OBJECTIVE
The authors' goal was to characterize cognitive flexibility and verbal learning in relatives of patients with bipolar disorder and in euthymic patients with recurrent major depression.


METHODS
The intradimensional/extradimensional shift task and California Verbal Learning Test were administered to 27 first-degree relatives of probands with bipolar I disorder, 15 euthymic outpatients with recurrent unipolar depression, and 47 healthy comparison subjects.


RESULTS
The relatives of patients with bipolar I disorder and the euthymic patients with unipolar depression were more likely to fail the intradimensional/extradimensional shift task than the healthy comparison subjects. The impairments at the extradimensional shift stage were pronounced. Verbal learning, delayed recall, and recognition were unimpaired in all groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Attentional set shifting may represent an endophenotype in mood disorder, related to underlying vulnerability rather than the actual disease phenotype.
Clark
Luke
L
Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EB, U.K. lc260@cam.ac.uk
Sarna
Antonina
A
Goodwin
Guy M
GM
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000553:Ambulatory Care; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology; D011939:Mental Recall / Q000502:physiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010641:Phenotype; D021641:Recognition, Psychology / Q000502:physiology; D012008:Recurrence; D014706:Verbal Learning / Q000502:physiology*