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The relationship between executive functions and fluid intelligence in euthymic Bipolar Disorder patients.

Published version
Peer-reviewed

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Authors

Goitia, Belén 
Manes, Facundo 
Torralva, Teresa 
Sigman, Mariano 

Abstract

Distinct cognitive deficits have been described in Bipolar disorder (BD), including executive impairments, commonly attributed to frontal dysfunction. However, recent attention has been paid to the heterogeneity of cognitive functioning in this population, suggesting that the executive deficits observed in BD might be due to a loss in fluid intelligence (g). Following our previous line of investigation in multiple neurological and psychiatric conditions we aimed at determining the role of g in frontal deficits in BD. Euthymic BD patients (n = 51) and healthy controls (n = 37) were assessed with Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), Verbal Fluency, Trail Making Test B (TMTB), a multitasking test, and a theory of mind test. A general cognitive battery was used to derive a measure of g. As in other neuropsychiatric conditions, significant patient-control differences in WCST, Verbal Fluency and TMTB were removed when g was introduced as a covariate. Deficits remained significant in the multitasking test. We suggest that neuropsychological assessment in BD should include tests of general intelligence, together with one or more specific tasks that allow for the assessment of residual frontal deficits, putatively associated with anterior frontal functioning.

Description

Keywords

Frontal deficits, Multitasking, Spearman's g, Theory of mind, Adult, Bipolar Disorder, Cognitive Dysfunction, Executive Function, Female, Humans, Intelligence, Male, Middle Aged

Journal Title

Psychiatry Res

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

0165-1781
1872-7123

Volume Title

257

Publisher

Elsevier BV