Cognitive impairment 'may affect mood swings'

Impairments of cognitions may have a more direct association with mood swings than it is commonly believed, according to new research.

A study published in the Journal of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics noted that, while neuropsychological impairment in bipolar disorder is well documented, the effect of this impairment is rarely compared directly to that in other clinically familiar cognitive disorders.

The scientists compared the neuropsychological functioning of euthymic bipolar patients to those with mild cognitive impairment and control subjects.

They found that the healthy control group outperformed both the bipolar and the mild cognitive impairment groups, with the cognitive function of euthymic bipolar patients and those diagnosed with MCI very similar.

Specialists noted that both groups performed significantly less well than the comparison group of healthy subjects, with experts noting that it may be helpful for clinicians to conceptualise the overall level of cognitive impairment in bipolar patients as similar to that in MCI.