Are bipolar II patients cognitively impaired? A systematic review

• Published in: Psychological medicine Vol. 41; no. 9; pp. 1791 - 1803
• Main Authors: Solé, B., Martínez-Arán, A., Torrent, C., Bonnin, C. M., Reinares, M., Popovic, D., Sánchez-Moreno, J., Vieta, E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge, UK Cambridge University Press 01.09.2011
• Subjects: Adult; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Biological and medical sciences; Bipolar affective disorder; Bipolar disorder; Bipolar Disorder - complications; Bipolar Disorder - psychology; Bipolar disorders; Cognition; Cognition disorders; Cognition Disorders - complications; Cognition Disorders - psychology; Cognitive deficits; Cognitive impairment; Cognitive psychology; Humans; Inhibition, Psychological; Inhibitory processes; Manic-depressive illness; Medical sciences; Memory; Memory Disorders - complications; Memory Disorders - psychology; Memory, Short-Term; Mood disorders; Neuropsicologia; Neuropsychological Tests; Neuropsychology; Patients; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Subtypes; Systematic review; Trastorn bipolar; Trastorns de la cognició; Verbal memory; Bipolar disorder II; neuropsychology; systematic reviews; cognition; Mood disorder; Cognitive disorder; Bipolar disorder; Cognition; Review; Neuropsychologia
• ISSN: 0033-2917; 1469-8978; 1469-8978
• DOI: 10.1017/S0033291711000018

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. 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. 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. 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.