A five-year follow-up of the verbal memory performance of individuals with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia: evidence of unchanging deficits under treatment

• Published in: Cognitive neuropsychiatry Vol. 28; no. 1; pp. 19 - 35
• Main Authors: Martins, Dayane Santos, Hasse-Sousa, Mathias, Reckziegel, Ramiro de Freitas Xavier, Lapa, Clara de Olivera, Petry-Perin, Carolina, Britto, Maria Julia, Remus, Isadora Bosini, Gama, Clarissa Severino, Czepielewski, Leticia Sanguinetti
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Routledge 2023; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Bipolar disorder; Bipolar Disorder - psychology; Cognition; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; longitudinal; Memory; Neuropsychological Tests; Schizophrenia; Schizophrenia - complications; Schizophrenia - drug therapy; verbal memory; verbal memory; Schizophrenia; bipolar disorder; longitudinal
• ISSN: 1354-6805; 1464-0619
• DOI: 10.1080/13546805.2022.2133694

Objective: Bipolar disorder (BD) and schizophrenia (SZ) are chronic and heterogeneous mental disorders that present cognitive and functional impairments. Verbal memory is considered an important predictor of functioning and a domain vulnerable to the aging process. However, only few studies investigate the progression of memory longitudinally in BD and SZ, especially in lower- and middle-income countries. Therefore, we aim to evaluate the course of verbal memory in individuals with BD and SZ. Methods: We assessed 31 individuals with BD and 27 individuals with SZ under treatment at outpatient clinics at baseline and after five years. They were assessed through a sociodemographic questionnaire, memory and estimated IQ (eIQ) instruments, and clinical scales. Results: Individuals with SZ showed worse verbal memory performance in comparison to BD, however, we did not observe changes over time within patient groups. Individuals with BD with higher eIQ showed a better verbal memory performance, while no effect of eIQ was found for subjects with SZ. Conclusion: Patients with SZ and BD showed different levels of verbal memory impairment, although they had similar unchanging trajectories after 5 years under psychiatric treatment. This finding indicates a relative stable cognitive course for both disorders.