Psychiatry Research EG

Background Kraepelin separates psychoses into two distinct groups, dementia praecox and manic-depressive insanity. The latter was characterized by an episodic course and benign prognosis. This forms the basis of our modern concept of bipolar disorder. Cognitive dysfunction has been described in patients with bipolar disorder during manic and depressive phases, but recent investigations have demonstrated persistent neuropsychological impairment in euthymic bipolar patients, which poses a challenge to Kraepelin’s dichotomy. Objective The study aims to assess remitted euthymic bipolar patients in terms of cognitive impairment. Patients and methods A cross-sectional study with a sample size of 100 euthymic bipolar patients and 50 matched normal controls was evaluated by the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised, Memory Assessment Scale, Brief Visuospatial Memory Test-Revised, and audio-evoked potential (P300) to assess the cognitive function. Results Comparison of cognitive functions of euthymic bipolar disorder patients and normal controls show a highly statistically significant affection in various domains of cognitive function especially in attention, mental flexibility, verbal and nonverbal learning, memory and speed of information processing in euthymic bipolar patients. Conclusions and recommendations Persistence of impairment of cognitive functions during the euthymic phase in bipolar disorder patients that need attention during their psychiatric assessment.