title: Can risk-taking be an endophenotype for bipolar disorder? A study on patients with bipolar disorder type I and their first-degree relatives.
abstract: Risk-taking behavior and impulsivity are core features of bipolar disorder. Whether they are part of the inherited aspect of the illness is not clear. We aimed to evaluate risk-taking behavior as a potential endophenotype for bipolar disorders, and its relationship with impulsivity and illness features. The Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART) and Barratt Impulsiveness Scale-11 (BIS-11) were used to assess risk-taking behavior and impulsivity respectively in 30 euthymic bipolar I patients (BD), their 25 asymptomatic first-degree relatives (BD-R), and 30 healthy controls (HC). The primary BART outcome measure was the behavioral adjustment score (number of pumps after trials where the balloon did not pop minus the number of pumps after trials where the balloon popped). BD (p < .001) and BD-R (p = .001) had similar and significantly lower adjustment scores than HC. Only BD scored significantly higher on BIS-11 total (p = .01) and motor (p = .04) subscales than HC. Neither the BART, nor impulsivity scores associated with illness features. A limitation of this study is medicated patients and a heterogeneous BD-R were included. Riskiness may be a candidate endophenotype for bipolar disorder as it appears independently from illness features, presents similarly in BD and BD-R groups and differs from impulsivity.
authors: Department of Neuroscience, Health Sciences Institute, Dokuz Eylul University, Izmir, Turkey. cerennh@gmail.com
authors: Ceren
authors: C
authors: Hıdıroğlu
authors: Özlem
authors: Ö
authors: Demirci Esen
authors: Zeliha
authors: Z
authors: Tunca
authors: Sehnaz
authors: S
authors: Neslihan Gűrz Yalçìn
authors: Lauren
authors: L
authors: Lombardo
authors: David C
authors: DC
authors: Glahn
authors: Ayşegül
authors: A
authors: Özerdem
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics / Q000523:psychology; D003936:Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted; D058068:Endophenotypes; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007175:Impulsive Behavior / Q000209:etiology* / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012309:Risk-Taking; D055815:Young Adult