Executive function in parents of patients with familial versus sporadic bipolar disorder

ObjectiveStudies investigating the cognitive function of healthy relatives of patients with bipolar disorder are conflicting, and the neurocognitive profile of relatives of bipolar disorder probands is still unclear. We aimed to evaluate executive function in unaffected parents of familial and sporadic patients with bipolar disorder.MethodsThe study included 24 unaffected familial parents (FP) of patients with bipolar disorder, 26 unaffected sporadic parents (SP) of patients with bipolar disorder and 26 controls matched with the parents for gender, age and duration of education (76 subjects in total). All of the subjects were interviewed with the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV-Axis I. Executive function was assessed using the California Verbal Learning Test (CVLT), the Trail Making Test (TMT), the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) and the Stroop test.ResultsIn comparison to their respective matched controls, FP performed significantly worse on the CVLT, TMT, WCST and Stroop test, whereas SP performed significantly worse only on WCST perseverative errors and Stroop color test. FP performed significantly worse than SP on the CVLT, TMT, and WCST.ConclusionThe present study investigated relatives with and without a family history of bipolar disorder separately and found that executive function was impaired in parents with a positive family history of bipolar disorder. These findings bring more evidence suggesting that deficits in prefrontal executive function and verbal memory are associated with familial vulnerability to bipolar disorder and that executive function and verbal memory impairments may represent a potential endophenotype of bipolar disorder.     

Shared executive dysfunctions in unaffected relatives of patients with autism and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

BACKGROUND: Executive dysfunctions have been studied as a potential endophenotype associated with the genetic basis of autism. Given that recent findings from clinical and molecular genetic studies suggest that autism and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) could share a common pattern of heritability, we assessed executive functions as a possible common cognitive endophenotype in unaffected family members of individuals with either autism or OCD. METHODS: Five tests assessing executive functions (Tower of London, verbal fluency, design fluency, trail making and association fluency) were proposed to 58 unaffected first-degree relatives (parents and siblings) of probands with autism and 64 unaffected first-degree relatives of OCD patients. Results were compared with those of 47 healthy controls matched for age, sex, and level of education. RESULTS: In the Tower of London test, both groups of unaffected relatives showed significantly lower scores and longer response times compared with controls. No differences were observed between autism and OCD relatives and healthy controls in the four other tasks (verbal fluency, design fluency, trail making test and association fluency). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings show the existence of executive dysfunction in the unaffected first-degree relatives of probands with OCD, similar to those observed in the relatives of patients with autism. These results support and extend previous cognitive studies on probands indicating executive dysfunctions in autism and OCD. Planning and working memory processes could thus represent a common cognitive endophenotype in autism and OCD that could help in the identification of genes conferring vulnerability to these disorders.     

Executive and verbal working memory dysfunction in first-degree relatives of patients with bipolar disorder

The authors aimed to investigate cognitive performance of first-degree relatives of probands with bipolar disorder (BD). They hypothesized that the relatives of BD patients would have impaired performance on cognitive tests of frontal-executive functions. A neuropsychological battery was administered to 34 first-degree relatives of BD probands and 25 control subjects. Relatives showed significant impairment in verbal working memory and executive function. Verbal memory and psychomotor performances of relatives were not different from control subjects. One particular component of executive function, cognitive flexibility, was associated with family history of mood episodes with psychotic features. Verbal working memory and executive function deficits may be useful endophenotypic markers of genetic vulnerability to BD.     

Neuropsychological task performance in bipolar spectrum illness: genetics, alcohol abuse, medication and childhood trauma

Introduction:  Impaired executive and memory function is a putative genetic trait marker of bipolar I disorder (BPD I). Although executive/memory function has been posited to be an endophenotype of BPD I, it is unclear whether this extends to bipolar spectrum illness. It is also unclear to what extent non-genetic factors such as childhood abuse, alcoholism and medication influence neurocognitive function. We assessed the neuropsychological performance of a large cohort of bipolar disorder probands and their affectively ill and healthy family members, while controlling for self-reported childhood sexual and emotional abuse, emotional neglect, alcohol abuse and medication.
Methods:  A total of 230 largely euthymic participants from 47 families, comprising 49 subjects with BPD I, 19 with bipolar II disorder (BPD II), 44 with recurrent major depression (MDE-R), 33 with a single lifetime episode of depression (MDE-S), 20 with other DSM-IV diagnoses and 65 unaffected relatives, were assessed with a battery of neuropsychological tasks.
Results:  Sexual abuse, emotional abuse and emotional neglect scores were associated with poorer cognitive performance. After controlling for childhood trauma, the BPD I group performed worse than unaffected relatives on tests of visual recall memory as well as verbal recall and recognition memory. In contrast, individuals with BPD II and bipolar spectrum illness did not differ significantly from unaffected relatives. Treatment with lithium and antipsychotic medication was associated with reduced executive and verbal recognition memory function. After controlling for medication and other covariates, only verbal recall memory was significantly impaired in the BPD I cohort.
Conclusions:  Verbal recall deficits may be one manifestation of a genetically driven dysfunction of frontal-striatal cortical networks in BPD I.     

Impairment of executive function but not memory in first-degree relatives of patients with bipolar I disorder and in euthymic patients with unipolar depression

OBJECTIVE: The authors' goal was to characterize cognitive flexibility and verbal learning in relatives of patients with bipolar disorder and in euthymic patients with recurrent major depression. METHOD: The intradimensional/extradimensional shift task and California Verbal Learning Test were administered to 27 first-degree relatives of probands with bipolar I disorder, 15 euthymic outpatients with recurrent unipolar depression, and 47 healthy comparison subjects. RESULTS: The relatives of patients with bipolar I disorder and the euthymic patients with unipolar depression were more likely to fail the intradimensional/extradimensional shift task than the healthy comparison subjects. The impairments at the extradimensional shift stage were pronounced. Verbal learning, delayed recall, and recognition were unimpaired in all groups. CONCLUSIONS: Attentional set shifting may represent an endophenotype in mood disorder, related to underlying vulnerability rather than the actual disease phenotype.     

Executive functioning in familial bipolar I disorder patients and their unaffected relatives

Schulze KK, Walshe M, Stahl D, Hall MH, Kravariti E, Morris R, Marshall N, McDonald C, Murray RM, Bramon E. Executive functioning in familial bipolar I disorder patients and their unaffected relatives.
Bipolar Disord 2011: 13: 208–216. © 2011 The Authors.
Journal compilation © 2011 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Objective: To compare the executive function of patients with familial bipolar I disorder (BP‐I) with a history of psychotic symptoms to their first‐degree relatives and normal controls. Methods: Three domains of executive function: response inhibition, working memory, and cognitive set shifting were assessed in 44 familial patients with a lifetime diagnosis of BP‐I who had experienced psychotic symptoms, 42 of their unaffected first‐degree relatives, and 47 controls. Results: Bipolar disorder patients and their unaffected relatives had significantly worse scores for response inhibition compared to healthy controls. The groups did not differ in working memory or cognitive set shifting. Conclusions: Impairments in response inhibition are associated with both psychotic bipolar disorder and genetic liability for this illness. Our results indicate that deficits in this specific domain of executive functioning are a promising candidate endophenotype for psychotic bipolar disorder.     

Neurocognitive function in clinically stable men with bipolar I disorder or schizophrenia and normal control subjects.

BACKGROUND: Patients with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia have been shown to have neurocognitive deficits when compared with control subjects. The degree and pattern of impairment between psychiatric groups have rarely been compared, especially when subjects are psychiatrically stable. METHODS: Using a standard neurocognitive battery, we compared euthymic outpatients with bipolar disorder (n = 40), stable patients with schizophrenia (n = 20), and subjects with no psychiatric disorder (n = 22). The neurocognitive domains assessed included executive functioning, verbal memory, visual memory, procedural learning, visuoconstructive ability, and language functions. Effect sizes were calculated for each cognitive domain across groups. RESULTS: Stable schizophrenic subjects demonstrated a generalized cognitive impairment across most domains compared with control subjects, with average effect sizes of .9. Euthymic bipolar subjects were significantly impaired compared with control subjects only in executive functioning (Wisconsin Card Sorting Task) and verbal memory (California Verbal Learning Test) domains (effect sizes in the .8-.9 range). Performance on the executive function measures was bimodal among bipolar subjects, suggesting two subgroups: one with relatively normal and one with impaired executive functioning. No significant differences between the bipolar patient group and control subjects were observed in visuoconstructive ability, procedural learning, or language function. CONCLUSIONS: Both euthymic bipolar subjects and relatively stable schizophrenic subjects differed from control subjects in neurocognitive function. Among schizophrenic subjects, a generalized cognitive impairment was observed, and the degree of impairment was greater in the schizophrenic compared with the bipolar subjects. Subjects with bipolar disorder were impaired in two specific domains (verbal memory and executive function). Furthermore, within the bipolar group there was a subset with relatively normal executive functioning and a subset with significant impairment. Possible reasons for the persistence of these neurocognitive deficits in some subjects with bipolar disorder during periods of euthymia are reviewed.     

No evidence for verbal memory impairment in individuals putatively at risk for bipolar disorder

BACKGROUND: Hypomanic temperament and rigid personality are putative risk factors for affective episodes and even bipolar disorder. Individuals with bipolar disorder exhibit neuropsychological impairments, especially memory difficulties, not only during mood episodes but also when they are euthymic. Such cognitive impairments may also constitute a risk factor for bipolar disorder. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the presence of memory difficulties in individuals with hypomanic and rigid personality traits. METHODS: Study participants were 6000 German students recruited from high schools, colleges, and vocational schools in Germany. The students completed the Hypomanic Personality Scale and the Rigidity subscale of the Munich Personality Test. Four groups of students were selected from this sample based on their scores in the Hypomanic Personality Scale and Rigidity subscale: individuals with (1) hypomanic temperament, (2) rigid temperament, or (3) hypomanic-rigid temperament and (4) control participants. These students (n = 153) completed the Rey-Auditory Verbal Learning Test, a well-established measure of verbal learning and memory, as well an IQ test (Leistungsprüfsystem). RESULTS: Multiple regression analyses indicated that sex and IQ, but not temperament, predicted learning of the Auditory Verbal Learning Test word list, the number of words recalled at short-delayed recall, and recognition. LIMITATIONS: The risk for affective disorders was only defined by psychometric measures, and we did not control for family history of bipolar disorders. CONCLUSIONS: Hypomanic temperament and Rigid personality were not associated with verbal learning and memory. Cognitive impairment may be associated with repeated mood episodes rather than constituting a risk factor for bipolar disorder.     

Cognitive impairment in schizoaffective disorder: a comparison with non-psychotic bipolar and healthy subjects

Objective: Only a few studies have examined specifically the neuropsychological performance of schizoaffective patients. Method: The sample consisted of 34 euthymic DSM‐IV schizoaffective patients, who were compared with 41 euthymic bipolar patients without history of psychotic symptoms and 35 healthy controls. Euthymia was defined by a score of 6 or less at the Young Mania Rating Scale and a score of 8 or less at the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale for at least 6 months. Patients were compared with several clinical, occupational, and neuropsychological variables such as executive function, attention, verbal and visual memory and the two groups were contrasted with 35 healthy controls on cognitive performance. The three groups were compared using mancova after checking the potential role of several co‐variables. Results: Schizoaffective patients showed greater impairment than controls and bipolar patients, in several domains, including verbal memory, executive function, and attentional measures. Bipolar patients without history of psychosis performed similar to the controls except for verbal fluency. Conclusion: Schizoaffective disorder carries more neurocognitive impairment than non‐psychotic bipolar disorder and more occupational difficulties.     

Bipolar I patients with and without a history of psychotic symptoms: Do they differ in their cognitive functioning?

Recently, many reports have consistently demonstrated cognitive deficits in patients with bipolar disorder (BD), but their relationship with symptomatology, specifically psychotic symptoms, remains unclear. Our main hypothesis was that a history of hallucinations and/or delusions in the course of BD-I is associated with severe cognitive deficits. We investigated several cognitive functions (memory, attention, verbal fluency and executive functions) in 18 BD-I patients with a history of psychotic symptoms (HPS+), 17 BD-I patients without a history of psychotic symptoms (HPS-), 33 schizophrenic patients and 26 healthy control subjects. Both groups of BD-I patients were more impaired than the normal controls in attention, verbal memory, verbal fluency and executive functions. Only HPS+ BD-I patients showed more difficulties in completing the Stroop test than nonpsychotic bipolar patients. Nevertheless, after adjustment for the effects of current psychopathology, this difference disappeared. Schizophrenic subjects showed worse performance than BD-I subjects in verbal memory and verbal fluency. These results suggest that a history of psychotic symptoms in bipolar I disorder may not be associated with more cognitive deficits. Further research on euthymic bipolar patients with and without HPS is required to confirm these findings.     

Neurocognition in first-degree healthy relatives (siblings) of bipolar affective disorder patients

Aim:  Cognitive deficits have been presupposed to be endophenotypic markers in bipolar disorder, but few studies have ascertained the cognitive deficits in healthy relatives of bipolar disorder patients. The aim of the present study was to assess the cognitive functions of first-degree relatives of patients with bipolar disorder and compare them with healthy controls.
Methods:  Ten first-degree apparently healthy relatives of patients with bipolar disorder were compared with 10 age- and education-matched control subjects on computer-based cognitive tests.
Results:  As compared to the control group, the relatives group performed significantly poorly on tests for executive function and vigilance, while on the test for working memory the performance was not significantly different on most of the parameters.
Conclusions:  Executive functioning and vigilance could be potential markers of the endophenotype in bipolar patients.     

The effect of previous psychotic mood episodes on cognitive impairment in euthymic bipolar patients

OBJECTIVES: Cognitive dysfunctions in several domains were proposed to be trait markers of bipolar patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of previous psychotic features on neuropsychological measures, including sustained attention, in remitted bipolar patients. METHODS: The study participants were 40 euthymic psychotic, 25 non-psychotic bipolar I patients and 30 healthy control subjects. Participants were assessed with a battery of neuropsychological tests targeting attention, executive functions, psychomotor speed, verbal learning and memory. RESULTS: Euthymic psychotic bipolar patients performed worse than controls on most of the measures, after controlling for the confounding effects of education, age and residual symptoms. Non-psychotic patients were also impaired on tasks of attention, fluency and psychomotor speed. 'Number of Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) categories' achieved was the only measure on which psychotic patients performed significantly worse compared to non-psychotic patients. Differences among patient groups were not explained by illness severity measures. The duration of illness was related to slowness in psychomotor speed tasks. Verbal memory deficits may be related to serum lithium levels and age of onset of disease. CONCLUSIONS: Deficits in cognitive flexibility may be a candidate for being a trait marker of psychotic features among bipolar patients. However, verbal fluency, psychomotor speed and sustained attention deficits may be candidates for vulnerability indicators of bipolar disorder in general.     

精神分裂症首次发病患者及其健康同胞认知功能的比较研究

目的 比较精神分裂症首次发病患者与健康同胞及正常对照认知功能的差异,探讨精神分裂症在认知功能领域的内表型.方法 采用目前常用的范畴流畅测验(CFT)、数字符号编码测验(DSCT)、连线测验(TMT)、韦克斯勒记忆量表第3版(WMS-Ⅲ)空间广度测验(WMS-ⅢSST)、霍普金斯词汇学习测验-修订版(HVLT-R)、简易视觉空间记忆测验-修订版(BVMT-R)、定步调听觉连续加法测验(PASAT)和威斯康星卡片分类测验-64(WCST-64)对92例精神分裂症首次发病患者(患者组)、56例健康同胞(同胞组)和62名健康对照者(对照组)的认知功能进行检测.结果 (1)患者组所有神经心理测验成绩均差于对照组,差异有统计学意义(P＜0.01).(2)同胞组的CFT、DSCT、TMT、HVLT-R即刻记忆和延迟记忆、BVMT-R即刻记忆、PASAT、WCST-64持续错误数、持续反应数和完成分类数的测验成绩差于对照组,差异有统计学意义(P＜0.05).(3)患者组与同胞组的CFT、WCST-64中的持续错误数、持续反应数和完成分类数测验成绩分别为(18.40±12.12)分比( 18.86±5.19)分、(16.48±8.19)分比(14.80±5.86)分、(18.76±10.91)分比(16.86 ±7.73)分、(1.33±2.81)分比(1.63±1.36)分,2组比较差异无统计学意义(P＞0.05),其他神经心理测验成绩比较,患者组差于同胞组,差异有统计学意义(P＜0.05).结论 精神分裂症首次发病患者存在处理速度、工作记忆、言语记忆、空间记忆、注意警觉和执行功能广泛性的认知功能损害,精神分裂症健康同胞存在处理速度、言语记忆、视觉记忆、注意警觉、执行功能的认知缺陷;语义流畅性功能和执行功能可能是精神分裂症的潜在内表型.     

Does cognition predict community function only in schizophrenia?: a study of schizophrenia patients, bipolar affective disorder patients, and community control subjects

Cognitive deficits predict functioning in schizophrenia; however, little is known as to whether the association is present in other mental disorders. If specific cognitive deficits uniquely predict functional impairment in schizophrenia the association of select aspects of brain dysfunction with daily living would suggest an intervention target and perhaps a means by which to improve the functioning of schizophrenia patients. The relationship of cognition and functioning was investigated in schizophrenia (n=39), bipolar affective disorder (n=27), and nonpsychiatric control (n=38) participants to determine whether the associations varied across groups. We examined verbal memory, verbal learning, verbal fluency, vigilance, executive functioning, symptomatology, and generalized cognitive functioning for associations with social function. Correlational analyses revealed particular cognitive domains (e.g., verbal memory) to be associated with social functioning in schizophrenia, bipolar, and control subjects; however generalized cognitive function and symptomatology were also associated with social functioning in patients. Multiple regression analyses revealed that in schizophrenia poor verbal memory predicted worse social functioning even after the effects of generalized cognitive dysfunction were considered. Verbal memory indices failed to account for variance in social function in bipolar patients and control subjects after consideration of generalized cognitive function. Bipolar patients with worse planning and problem solving tended to have worse social functioning. Therefore, unlike schizophrenia patients who may fail to process verbally mediated material, bipolar patients' difficulty with logical approaches to problems in daily living may have the greatest impact on their community function.     

Comparative effects of risperidone and olanzapine on cognition in elderly patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder

OBJECTIVE: To examine the effects of risperidone and olanzapine on cognitive functioning in elderly patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder. METHOD: One hundred seventy-six elderly inpatients and outpatients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder were enrolled in this multicenter, double-blind trial. After their antipsychotic medications were tapered for 1 week, patients were randomly assigned to receive either risperidone 1 to 3 mg/day or olanzapine 5 to 20 mg/day for 8 weeks. Performance on the Continuous Performance Test (CPT), Serial Verbal Learning Test (SVLT), TMT (Trail Making Test) Parts A and B, Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), and Verbal Fluency Examinations (VFE) was assessed at baseline and at end point. RESULTS: Patients in the risperidone group had improved scores on at least one test of attention, memory, executive function, and verbal fluency, and those in the olanzapine group had improved scores on at least one test of attention and memory function. Scores on the TMT Part B, WCST total errors (executive function domain), and the VFE improved significantly from baseline in the risperidone group but not in the olanzapine group. No significant differences in change scores between the two groups were found. Higher baseline scores on each test predicted more improvement at endpoint. CONCLUSIONS: Low doses of risperidone and olanzapine improve cognitive function in elderly patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder. Consistent with research in younger populations, these improvements occur in aspects of cognitive functioning related to functional outcome.     

Variance in neurocognitive performance is associated with dysbindin-1 in schizophrenia: a preliminary study

Susceptibility genes for schizophrenia have been hypothesised to mediate liability for the disorder at least partly by influencing cognitive performance. We investigated the association between genotype and cognitive performance for a Dysbindin risk haplotype which is associated with schizophrenia in our sample. Fifty-two patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder (24 risk haplotypes carriers versus 28 non-risk haplotype carriers) were assessed in areas of cognition showing evidence of familial deficits in schizophrenia. Verbal and spatial memory, working memory, and attentional control was assessed using selected measures from the Weschler memory scale (WMS), Cambridge automated test battery (CANTAB), continuous performance test (CPT), and a simple go/no-go task. Pre-morbid IQ was also assessed using the Weschler Test of Adult Reading (WTAR). Patients carrying the Dysbindin risk haplotype showed significantly lower spatial working memory performance than patients who were non-risk carriers, with genotype explaining 12% of variance in performance. Our study suggests that the increased risk for schizophrenia associated with dysbindin may be partly mediated by its influence on pre-frontal function.     

The relations between cognition and the independent living skill of shopping in people with schizophrenia

A great deal of interest has developed regarding the impact of cognitive deficits on the everyday functioning of people with schizophrenia. This study examined the relationships between cognitive functioning and the performance of a specific independent living skill (grocery shopping) in a sample of 73 individuals with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder. Cognitive variables included tests of verbal memory, executive functioning, verbal fluency, sustained attention and visual motor skill. Functional outcome was measured with the Test of Grocery Shopping Skills, which is an ecologically based performance measure that requires participants to shop for 10 items within an actual grocery store. Accuracy on the shopping task was significantly associated with fewer perseverative responses on the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, better verbal memory and faster processing speed. Shopping efficiency (i.e. less redundancy) was associated with better performance on several cognitive tasks, including verbal memory, verbal fluency, sustained attention and executive functioning. Results of this study extend previous research by examining the relation between cognition and the actual performance of daily living skills under natural circumstances.     

Neurocognitive functions in euthymic bipolar patients

Objective: Meta‐analytic findings support the hypothesis of specific neurocognitive deficits for bipolar patients in the domains of attention, processing speed, memory and executive functions. This study aims to show neurocognitive impairment in euthymic patients with bipolar I disorder compared with healthy controls while detailing the impact of medication side‐effects or illness characteristics on neuropsychological test performance. Method: Forty euthymic patients with bipolar I disorder were compared with 40 healthy controls in a cross‐sectional design. Clinical features and neuropsychological measures of IQ, psychomotor speed, verbal fluency, learning and memory, executive functions and attention were assessed. Results: Patients without antipsychotic drug use did not differ significantly from healthy controls in any neuropsychological measure. Yet patients treated with antipsychotics showed significant underperformance in the domains of semantic fluency, verbal learning and recognition memory as well as executive functions related to planning abilities, even when clinical features were controlled for. Conclusion: The impact of antipsychotic medication needs to be further clarified for euthymic bipolar patients and should be considered when neuropsychological test performance is interpreted.     

COMT polymorphisms as predictors of cognitive dysfunction during manic and mixed episodes in bipolar I disorder

Soeiro‐de‐Souza MG, Machado‐Vieira R, Soares Bio D, Do Prado CM, Moreno RA. COMT polymorphisms as predictors of cognitive dysfunction during manic and mixed episodes in bipolar I disorder. Bipolar Disord 2012: 14: 554–564. © 2012 The Authors.
Journal compilation © 2012 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Objective: The dopaminergic system plays an important role in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and is believed to mediate cognitive dysfunction (CD) in bipolar disorder (BD). The enzyme catechol‐O‐methyltransferase (COMT) is involved in the catabolism of dopamine in the PFC, and an association between COMT single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and BD has been reported. COMT SNPs have also been associated with executive and working memory performance in healthy subjects, patients with schizophrenia, and euthymic BD patients. The objective of this study was to investigate the association between COMT SNPs and acute CD during BD mood episodes. Methods: Seventy‐two symptomatic, medication‐free subjects with bipolar I disorder (BD‐I) and 76 healthy controls were evaluated using neuropsychological tests, and genotyped for COMT SNPs rs4680 and rs165599. Results: Patients undergoing mania and mixed episodes carrying the COMT allele G had better performance on executive function, memory, verbal fluency, and intelligence tests. Moreover, an interaction was detected between the COMT allele G and the Young Mania Rating Scale in BD CD. Conclusions: Allele G from COMT SNPs rs4680 and rs165599 may represent reliable state‐dependent predictors of global CD during manic and mixed episodes in BD. Further studies in larger samples are necessary to confirm these findings.     

双相障碍患者一级亲属的认知功能研究

目的探讨双相障碍患者一级亲属的认知功能特点。方法选用10项神经心理测验对53例双相障碍患者未患病的一级亲属、97例正常对照个体进行认知功能的评定。结果亲属组的即刻逻辑记忆分为(9.11±2.95)分,明显差于对照组(12.06±3.21)分,差异具有统计学意义(P0.01),亲属组的延迟逻辑记忆分为(6.89±3.41)分,明显差于对照组(10.06±3.30)分,差异具有统计学意义(P0.01);亲属组的威斯康星卡片分类(WCST)测验分类数为(4.57±1.75)个,明显少于对照组(5.15±1.27)个,差异具有统计学意义(P0.05)。结论双相障碍患者一级亲属可能具有言语记忆和执行功能障碍,其受损的认知功能可能是双相障碍的遗传"内表型"指标。