title: Are bipolar II patients cognitively impaired? A systematic review.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There is evidence that bipolar disorder (BD) is associated with significant neurocognitive deficits and this occurs in individuals with BD type I (BD I) and with BD type II (BD II). Only a few studies have focused on cognitive impairment in BD II. The aim of this study was to describe the pattern of cognitive impairment in patients with BD II, in order to identify specific cognitive deficits that distinguish BD II from BD I patients as well as from healthy subjects.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed a systematic review of the literature of neuropsychological studies of BD II published between 1980 and July 2009. Fourteen articles fulfilled the inclusion criteria and were included in this review.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Main cognitive deficits found in BD II include working memory and some measures of executive functions (inhibitory control) and approximately half of the studies also detected verbal memory impairment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There are subtle differences between the two subtypes regarding cognition. This may suggest neurobiological differences between the two subgroups which will be helpful in order to determine cognitive endophenotypes in BD subtypes.
authors.affiliation: Bipolar Disorders Program, Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, IDIBAPS, CIBERSAM, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Solé
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Martínez-Arán
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Torrent
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Bonnin
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Reinares
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Popovic
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sánchez-Moreno
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vieta
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology*; D003071:Cognition; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007266:Inhibition, Psychological; D008568:Memory; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology; D008570:Memory, Short-Term; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests