Cognitive functions in a mixed episode of bipolar affective disorder

Abstract

Summary. According to various meta-analyzes, most patients with bipolar affective disorder have neurocognitive dysfunction even in remission. In recent studies, moderate to severe impairments have been found in attention, verbal learning and memory, and executive function. Whereas premorbid intelligence remains unchanged. The main body of research is devoted to the study of cognitive impairment in the first episode of bipolar affective disorder, in manic, depressive episodes, and euthymia. At the same time, the features of cognitive dysfunction in mixed forms of bipolar affective disorder remain poorly understood. The aim of the study was to study the characteristics of cognitive functions in patients with a mixed episode of bipolar affective disorder. Materials and methods. With the help of a battery of tests (a test for remembering ten unrelated words; a Ray-Osterritz test; a verbal speed test; a digital character substitution test; a symbol linking test), the cognitive features of 25 patients with a mixed episode, 16 patients with a manic episode, and 15 patients with a depressive episode of bipolar affective disorder. Results and conclusions. Deviations in cognitive function were found in all patients regardless of the type of affective symptomatology. In the form of a wide range of psychopathological phenomena which manifested themselves to a greater extent in patients with a mixed episode of bipolar affective disorder. The peculiarities of the phenomenological structure of cognitive impairment in patients with mixed phase of bipolar affective disorder are manifested in the form of a more pronounced deterioration of verbal memory, information processing speed; more pronounced violations of spatial representations, deterioration of visual memory, verbal associative performance and executive functions; a decrease in attention and a violation of its distribution. The findings suggest that the leading role in the formation of these disorders is played by the presence of depressive symptoms in the clinical structure of affective disorders.