Bipolar Disorder and Cognitive Dysfunction

Abstract

The aim of this article was to describe the current evidence regarding phenomenon of cognitive functioning and dementia in bipolar disorder (BD). Cochrane Library and PubMed searches were conducted for relevant articles, chapters, and books published before 2016. Search terms used included "bipolar disorder," "cognitive dysfunction," and "dementia." At the end of the selection process, 159 studies were included in our qualitative synthesis. As result, cognitive impairments in BD have been previously considered as infrequent and limited to the affective episodes. Nowadays, there is evidence of stable and lasting cognitive dysfunctions in all phases of BD, including remission phase, particularly in the following domains: attention, memory, and executive functions. The cause of cognitive impairment in BD raises the question if it subtends a neurodevelopmental or a neurodegenerative process. Impaired cognitive functioning associated with BD may contribute significantly to functional disability, in addition to the distorted affective component usually emphasized.

The impact of BDNF Val66Met polymorphism on cognition in Bipolar Disorder: A review

“…The presence of cognitive impairments among subjects affected by Bipolar Disorder (BD) in comparison to healthy individuals has been attested by several studies (Mann-Wrobel et al, 2011), especially in executive functioning, attention, visual/motor processing speed, verbal memory and verbal learning (Torres et al, 2007;Van Der Werf-Eldering et al, 2011). Interestingly, neurocognitive deficits seem to represent a trait feature of BD since cognitive alterations have been detected during all phases of the illness (Cipriani et al, 2017;Martínez-Arán et al, 2000), even during euthymia (Bostock et al, 2017;Elias et al, 2017).…”

A specific group of patients with diagnostic conversion from depression to bipolar disorder and finally to dementia as a mental GSK‐3 disease: A hypothesis

“…Moreover, steeper aging‐related decline in cognitive control processes may underlie greater risk of day‐to‐day functional disability and dementia observed in older adults with bipolar disorder . Finally, a qualitative synthesis of 159 studies suggests that there is evidence of stable and lasting cognitive dysfunctions in all phases of bipolar disorder, including remission phase, particularly in attention, memory, and executive functions …”

Tumor necrosis factor receptor 2: A potential target for antidepressant drug development

“…42 Notably, the frontopolar prefrontal cortex, [43][44][45] anterior cingulate cortex 41,46,47 and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex [46][47][48] have all been reported to be dysfunctional in patients with mood disorders. This is significant, as dysfunction in these cortical regions would be predicted to lead to emotional dysregulation, 49 cognitive deficits 50,51 and executive dysfunction 50,51 which are commonly experienced by patients with mood disorders.…”