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Are bipolar II patients cognitively impaired? A systematic review

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 January 2011

B. Solé ,
A. Martínez-Arán ,
C. Torrent ,
C. M. Bonnin ,
M. Reinares ,
D. Popovic ,
J. Sánchez-Moreno  and
E. Vieta
B. Solé
Affiliation:
Bipolar Disorders Program, Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, IDIBAPS, CIBERSAM, Barcelona, Spain
A. Martínez-Arán
Affiliation:
Bipolar Disorders Program, Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, IDIBAPS, CIBERSAM, Barcelona, Spain
C. Torrent
Affiliation:
Bipolar Disorders Program, Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, IDIBAPS, CIBERSAM, Barcelona, Spain
C. M. Bonnin
Affiliation:
Bipolar Disorders Program, Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, IDIBAPS, CIBERSAM, Barcelona, Spain
M. Reinares
Affiliation:
Bipolar Disorders Program, Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, IDIBAPS, CIBERSAM, Barcelona, Spain
D. Popovic
Affiliation:
Bipolar Disorders Program, Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, IDIBAPS, CIBERSAM, Barcelona, Spain Department of Psychiatry, Neurobiology, Pharmacology and Biotechnology, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
J. Sánchez-Moreno
Affiliation:
Bipolar Disorders Program, Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, IDIBAPS, CIBERSAM, Barcelona, Spain
E. Vieta*
Affiliation:
Bipolar Disorders Program, Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, IDIBAPS, CIBERSAM, Barcelona, Spain
*
*Address for correspondence: Dr E. Vieta, Bipolar Disorders Program, Clinical Institute of Neuroscience, University Clinic Hospital of Barcelona, CIBERSAM, Villarroel 170, 08036-Barcelona, Spain. (Email: evieta@clinic.ub.es)
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Abstract

Background

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.

Method

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.

Results

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.

Conclusions

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.

Keywords

Bipolar disorder IIcognitionneuropsychologysystematic reviews
Type
Review Article
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 41 , Issue 9 , September 2011 , pp. 1791 - 1803
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2011

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