Lithium treatment effects on the neuropsychological functioning of patients with bipolar I disorder.
OBJECTIVE
To determine if medication plays a major role in cognitive impairment in bipolar disorder and if regular treatment with lithium influences the cognitive performance of a group of euthymic patients with bipolar I disorder.


METHODS
Cognitive performance was assessed using neuropsychological tests of attention, memory, and executive function on 60 subjects: 20 euthymic bipolar I patients with no medication intake, 20 euthymic bipolar I patients who were following regular treatment with lithium carbonate monotherapy, and a third group of 20 control healthy subjects. The subjects were evaluated from January 2005 to October 2006. Patients were diagnosed using DSM-IV criteria for bipolar disorder.


RESULTS
Compared to the healthy group, bipolar I patients had significantly lower performance on episodic verbal and visual-verbal memory regardless of their medication status. No significant cognitive performance differences were found between the two groups of patients with bipolar disorder, suggesting that lithium therapy had no deleterious effects on cognition.


CONCLUSIONS
Patients with bipolar I disorder have verbal memory deficits that are not explained by medication or by lithium monotherapy, but by the condition itself.
López-Jaramillo
Carlos
C
Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia. clopez@medicina.udea.edu.co
Lopera-Vásquez
Juan
J
Ospina-Duque
Jorge
J
García
Jenny
J
Gallo
Aurora
A
Cortez
Vladimir
V
Palacio
Carlos
C
Torrent
Carla
C
Martínez-Arán
Anabel
A
Vieta
Eduard
E
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016651:Lithium Carbonate / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000187:drug effects
D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D016651:Lithium Carbonate