title: Verbal fluency dysfunction in euthymic bipolar patients: a controlled study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the executive functioning in euthymic bipolar patients in comparison to healthy controls and to examine the relationship between neuropsychological deficits and clinical variables.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-five euthymic bipolar patients and 31 controls underwent a battery of executive tasks including mental flexibility, inhibitory control and verbal fluency tests.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no significant differences between bipolar patients and controls in relation to mental flexibility and inhibitory control. However, patients performed worse than controls on verbal fluency tests. Poor performances on the Stroop Test and the Hayling and Brixton Tests--part A were associated to lifetime occurrence of psychotic symptoms, prior number of episodes, and previous hospitalizations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In our study, only verbal fluency tests differentiated bipolar euthymic patients from healthy controls. Patients who showed deficits in information processing speed and inhibitory control had more episodes and hospitalizations and lifetime occurrence of psychotic symptoms.
authors: Psychology and Neuropsychology, Institute of Psychiatry, University of São Paulo Medical School, Brazil. crisrocca@uol.com.br
authors: Cristiana Castanho
authors: CC
authors: de Almeida Rocca
authors: Márcia Britto
authors: MB
authors: de Macedo-Soares
authors: Clarice
authors: C
authors: Gorenstein
authors: Renata Sayuri
authors: RS
authors: Tamada
authors: Cilly Kluger
authors: CK
authors: Isller
authors: Rodrigo Silva
authors: RS
authors: Dias
authors: Karla Mathias
authors: KM
authors: de Almeida
authors: Angela Maria
authors: AM
authors: Schwartzmann
authors: José Antônio
authors: JA
authors: Amaral
authors: Beny
authors: B
authors: Lafer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D015897:Comorbidity; D035061:Control Groups; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010359:Patient Readmission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013064:Speech Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology