title: Cognition and functioning in bipolar depression.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Depressive symptoms are associated with worse outcomes in patients with bipolar disorder (BD). However, scarce data are available regarding neurocognitive profiles across different areas of functioning among BD patients with moderate and severe depression. Our objective was to assess cognition and global functioning in a group of patients with bipolar depression.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were available for 100 patients with bipolar depression (78% female) and 70 controls (64% female) paired by age and education level. Cognitive function was assessed with a neuropsychological test battery. Functioning was assessed with the Functioning Assessment Short Test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In patients, severe depression was associated with poorer cognitive performance on measures of executive function. Patients with severe depression showed worse global functioning than those with moderate depression (z = 2.54, p = 0.011). In patients with severe depression, lower global functioning was associated with lower scores in working memory (r = -0.200, p = 0.010), and executive function (r = -0.210, p = 0.007; and r = 0.293, p < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings suggest cognitive impairment and global functioning impairment are associated with the severity of depressive symptoms in bipolar depression. Intensive treatment of depressive symptoms in patients with BD is crucial to improve cognitive functioning and, consequently, functional outcomes.
authors: Laboratório de Psiquiatria Molecular, Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia - Medicina Translacional (INCT-TM), Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.|Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina: Psiquiatria, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors: Natalia S
authors: NS
authors: Kapczinski
authors: Laboratório de Psiquiatria Molecular, Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia - Medicina Translacional (INCT-TM), Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.|Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina: Psiquiatria, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.|Centro de Pesquisa em Álcool e Drogas (CPAD), HCPA, UFGRS, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors: Joana C
authors: JC
authors: Narvaez
authors: Laboratório de Psiquiatria Molecular, Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia - Medicina Translacional (INCT-TM), Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.|Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina: Psiquiatria, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors: Pedro V
authors: PV
authors: Magalhães
authors: Laboratório de Psiquiatria Molecular, Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia - Medicina Translacional (INCT-TM), Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.|Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina: Psiquiatria, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors: Joana
authors: J
authors: Bücker
authors: Centro de Pesquisa em Álcool e Drogas (CPAD), HCPA, UFGRS, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.|Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos (UNISINOS), São Leopoldo, RS, Brazil.
authors: Ana C
authors: AC
authors: Peuker
authors: Laboratório de Psiquiatria Molecular, Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia - Medicina Translacional (INCT-TM), Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.|Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina: Psiquiatria, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors: Ana C
authors: AC
authors: Loredo
authors: UFRGS, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors: Federico
authors: F
authors: Troiano
authors: Laboratório de Psiquiatria Molecular, Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia - Medicina Translacional (INCT-TM), Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors: Letícia
authors: L
authors: Czepielewski
authors: Laboratório de Psiquiatria Molecular, Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia - Medicina Translacional (INCT-TM), Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.|Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina: Psiquiatria, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.|Departamento de Farmacologia, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde (ICBS), UFRGS, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors: Adriane
authors: A
authors: Rosa
authors: Laboratório de Psiquiatria Molecular, Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia - Medicina Translacional (INCT-TM), Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.|Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina: Psiquiatria, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.|Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Biológicas: Bioquímica, UFRGS, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors: Gabriel R
authors: GR
authors: Fries
authors: Laboratório de Psiquiatria Molecular, Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia - Medicina Translacional (INCT-TM), Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.|Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina: Psiquiatria, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors: Clarissa S
authors: CS
authors: Gama
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology; D060825:Cognitive Dysfunction / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003863:Depression / Q000503:physiopathology*; D056344:Executive Function / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000502:physiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012720:Severity of Illness Index