title: Outcome of cognitive performances in bipolar euthymic patients after a depressive episode: a longitudinal naturalistic study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cognitive functions have been investigated across depressed, manic, hypomanic, mixed and euthymic episodes of bipolar disorder, but the stability or the progression of cognitive impairment is still under research.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of the present study was to assess the outcome of cognitive functions in bipolar patients following a depressive episode, after a 6-month period in the absence of mood symptoms.
  
  
  METHODS
  63 bipolar patients were tested with a battery of neurocognitive tests both at baseline (during an acute depressive episode) and after 6 months of euthymia. The cognitive domains assessed included memory, attention, verbal fluency, processing speed and executive functions. Cognitive performances were compared with those of a control group (40 healthy control subjects), both in depression and in euthymia.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients scored worse than control subjects in several cognitive domains, both in depression and euthymia. The most impaired cognitive functions were executive functions and verbal memory. Between the two moments of assessment bipolar patients obtained a significant improvement in memory, verbal fluency, attention and information processing speed. Psychomotor speed showed no difference between depression and euthymia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Bipolar patients showed impairment in several cognitive domains during depression. A certain degree of impairment remained even after the remission of the affective episode in relationship with the executive functions. Between depression and euthymia, bipolar patients showed important cognitive improvements.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosciences, Discipline of Psychiatry and Paediatric Psychiatry, University of Medicine and Pharmacy "Iuliu Hatieganu", 43 Victor Babes Street, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
authors.forename: Ramona
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Păunescu
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosciences, Discipline of Psychiatry and Paediatric Psychiatry, University of Medicine and Pharmacy "Iuliu Hatieganu", 43 Victor Babes Street, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
authors.forename: Ioana
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Micluţia
keywords: Bipolar disorder; Cognitive functions; Depression; Euthymia