Associations between cognitive impairment and illness awareness in fully remitted bipolar outpatients

Psychiatry Res. 2021 Feb:296:113655. doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2020.113655. Epub 2020 Dec 18.

Abstract

The euthymic state of bipolar disorder is often characterized by impaired cognitive function. In this investigation, we hypothesized that subjective cognitive function is impaired and illness awareness is inadequate and we further explored the associations among cognitive complaints, objective cognitive functions, and current illness awareness in Japanese patients. Twenty-seven patients in remission and 27 healthy subjects were recruited in this study. The Japanese version of the Cognitive Complaints in Bipolar Disorder Rating Assessment (COBRA) and Scale to Assess Unawareness in Mental Disorders (Japanese, SUMD-J) were used to assess each patient. All patients underwent neuropsychological tests for the assessment of objective cognitive functions. Only SUMD2.C (current awareness of the effects of medication) was significantly correlated with COBRA, and the objective cognitive assessments, Word Fluency Test and Stroop Test Reaction Time, represented significant correlations with SUMD1.C (current awareness of mental illness). In remitted bipolar outpatients, both the objective and subjective cognitive functions were found to be associated with illness awareness. However, subjective and objective cognitive functions differed in the related illness awareness subscales in fully remitted bipolar outpatients.

Keywords: Awareness; Bipolar disorder; Cognitive function; Neuropsychological test.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Bipolar Disorder / psychology*
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Cognition
  • Cognition Disorders / psychology*
  • Cognitive Dysfunction / psychology*
  • Cyclothymic Disorder
  • Humans
  • Japan
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Neuropsychological Tests