Psychiatry Research EG

Background Executive functions are defined as the higher-level cognitive functions that are necessary to plan and execute goal-directed behaviors and may include cognitive flexibility, creativity, planning ability, abstract thinking, concept formation, and response inhibition. Recently, it has been shown that those with schizophrenia, as well as those with bipolar disorder, exhibit deficits in executive functions relative to controls. Executive function capability is an important predictor of the treatment, prognosis, and functional outcomes of these disorders. Patients and methods This cross-sectional study was carried out in Suez Canal University Outpatient Psychiatric Clinic. It included 60 patients with bipolar disorder type 1 (male and female). All studied patients were subjected to assessment of the manic symptoms using the total scores of Young’s Mania Rating Scale and the depressive symptoms using the total scores of the Hamilton Depression Rating scale by researcher. Assessment of cognitive functions was carried out by an expert psychologist using the Wechsler Adult intelligence Scale, Wechsler Memory Scale-III-Revised Hayling Sentence Completion Test, Trail Making Test, and the Wisconsin Card-Sorting Test. Result The results showed worsening in the executive function associated with manic than with depressive symptoms. Conclusion Manic symptoms had a significant effect on cognitive functions. Keywords: bipolar disorder, depression, executive functions, manic