Investigation of comparative neurocognitive features, impulsivity and resilience relationship in high risk offspring of bipolar parents

Background: Various investigations have been carried out in the fields of clinical, genetic, neurocognitive and neuroimaging in different high risk groups in order to diagnose bipolar disorder (BD) early and to determine biological risk factors. In addition to the genetic basis of the disease, stress can also play an important role in the early onset of the BD and in the episodic recurrence. The aim of this study; early neurocognitive features, resilience, and impulsivity and the relationship with each other in the high-risk children of BD-diagnosed patients and the detection of endophenotypes for the early diagnosis of BD are identified. Method: This study included 30 children aged 12-18 years, whose parent previously applied to Psychiatry Clinic of Dokuz Eylul University and diagnosed BD type I or II according to DSM-VI-TR scale; and children aged 12-18 years whose parent is diagnosed BD according to DSM-IV-TR scale, applied to Child and Adolescents Psychiatry Clinic of Dokuz Eylul University with any complaint. Children were classified as unaffected high risk group (n=10) and affected high risk group (n=20) by symptoms in terms of structured clinical interviews. 33 healthy children included same age, gender and education levels with the high risk group without any psychiatric disorder in their parents and themselves. Psychiatric diagnostic interview (Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School Age Children Lifetime Version-K-SADS-PL) were applied to all children and adolescents who admitted to the study. Sociodemographic Data Form, Children Depression Rating Scale-Revised, Young Mania Rating Scale, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Barratt Impulsiveness Scale-10 (BIS-10), Child and Youth Resilience Measure (CYRM), Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, Stroop Test, Auditory Verbal Learning Test, Serial Digit Learning Test, Trail Making Test, Stop Signal Test and Children Global Assesment Scale were applied to both case and control groups. In the analysis of continuous data, t-test and one way ANOVA were applied to the normal distribution groups, and Mann-Whitney U test and Kruskal Wallis test was applied to the groups where the distribution was not normal. Chi-square test was applied in the analysis of the cut-off data. P <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: In the case group CGAS scores was found lower than control group. The scores of CYRM were significantly lower in the affected high risk group than unaffected high risk group and control group. There was no difference between groups in the BIS-10 scores and SST. Immediate memory tests and trail making tests were worser in the case group. There were no difference in the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, Serial Digit learning test and Stroop test between groups. Conclusion: Significant differences were found in functionality, resilience and in some of the neurocognitive tests between the cases and controls, while there were no difference between affected and unaffected groups in neurocognitive functions and impulsivity. These findings can be candidate of the bipolar predictor for the prodromal period. In order to be able to generalize this situation, there is a need for longitudinal research with larger sampling. Key words: Bipolar disorder, cognitive function, impulsivity, resilience, high risk.