Impulsivity and bipolar disorder.
Impulsivity is frequently associated with bipolar disorder (BD) during manic episodes, but may also be present in euthymic bipolar patients. Aggression is an impulsivity-related behavior also found during manic episodes. The objective of this review is to further clarify the relationship between impulsivity and BD. A search in Medline and Psycinfo databases, combined with a manual search of selected references, was conducted to identify available literature on BD and impulsivity-related features. Although few studies have directly measured impulsivity in BD, available findings suggest that impulsivity is not only state-related, but also a trait component of BD, which could represent a core feature of the illness. Further research exploring the neurobiology of the impulsivity/BD relationship may contribute to elucidate the pathophysiology and to improve the diagnosis and treatment of this severe illness.
Najt
P
P
MOOD-CNS Program, Division of Mood and Anxiety Disorders, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UTHSCSA), San Antonio, TX 78229-3900, USA.
Perez
J
J
Sanches
M
M
Peluso
M A M
MA
Glahn
D
D
Soares
J C
JC
D000374:Aggression / Q000502:physiology; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000150:complications*; D016208:Databases, Factual; D006801:Humans; D007175:Impulsive Behavior / Q000209:etiology*; D016239:MEDLINE; D013405:Suicide