Cognitive impairment in patients with a primary episode of bipolar affective disorder

An increasing number of studies on cognitive impairment associated with bipolar disorder indicate the relevance of the topic in psychiatry. The aim of the study was to investigate the features of cognitive functioning of patients with primary episode of bipolar disorder, taking into account sex and clinical variant. According to the method of «Remembering the Ten Words», 153 patients were examined: with prevalence of depressive symptoms (44 men and 75 women), with prevalence of manic symptoms (15 men and 8 women) and with simultaneous presence of depressive and manic symptoms or with rapid change of phases (6 men and 5 women). Statistical analysis was performed using the non-parametric Mann-Whitney test. It was found that in the depressive variant, the memorization curve was characterized by difficulties of fixing information and difficulty in holding it: 4.2±1.2 words, 4.6±1.4 words, 5.9±1.8 words, 5.8±1.4 words, 4.4±1.3 words, 2.6±1.4 words (in men – 4.2±1.4 words, 4.6±1.5 words, 6.1±1.9 words, 5.7±1.5 words, 4.4±1.3 words, 2.6±1.4 words, in women – 4.2±1.1 words, 4.5±1.4 words, 5,9±1.7 words, 5.8±1.3 words, 4.4±1.3 words, 2.5±1.3 words); at manic – rapid rise with subsequent decrease and the lowest reproduction rates in an hour: 4.7±1.3 words, 7.5±1.3 words, 7.2±1.3 words, 6.7±1.8 words , 4.7±1.0 words, 2.0±1.0 words (in men – 4.9±1.3 words, 7.3±1.3 words, 7.1±1.2 words, 6, 3±1.7 words, 4.7±0.9 words, 1.9±0.9 words, in women – 4.3±1.4 words, 7.9±1.4 words, 7.5±1,5 words, 7.5±1.7 words, 4.6±1.3 words, 2.3±1.2 words); when mixed – combined fixation difficulties and low reproduction rates: 4.5±0.9 words, 5.1±1.3 words, 5.9±1.1 words, 5.6±0.8 words, 4.2±1.1 words, 2.4±0.9 words (in men – 4.5±0.8 words, 5.5±1.0 words, 5.8±1.0 words, 5.8±0, 8 words, 4.5±1.0 words, 2.0±0.9 words, in women – 4.6±1.1 words, 4.6±1.5 words, 6.0±1.4 words, 5.4±0.9 words, 3.8±1.1 words, 2.8±0.8 words). Certain differences in cognitive impairment were found depending on the clinical version of the primary episode; however, the differences between men and women are insignificant. Further prospects are related to the improvement of methods for predicting and treating cognitive impairment in bipolar disorders.