Verbal fluency dysfunction in euthymic bipolar patients: a controlled study.
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.
de Almeida Rocca
Cristiana Castanho
CC
Psychology and Neuropsychology, Institute of Psychiatry, University of São Paulo Medical School, Brazil. crisrocca@uol.com.br
de Macedo-Soares
Márcia Britto
MB
Gorenstein
Clarice
C
Tamada
Renata Sayuri
RS
Isller
Cilly Kluger
CK
Dias
Rodrigo Silva
RS
de Almeida
Karla Mathias
KM
Schwartzmann
Angela Maria
AM
Amaral
José Antônio
JA
Lafer
Beny
B
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