Temperament and impulsivity between bipolar disorder with and without comorbid obsessive compulsive disorder

The aim of this study is to investigate the dominant affective temperament and the impulsivity by comparing the control patients with Bipolar Affective Disorder (BPD) patients that are comorbid with obsessive compulsive disease (OCD) or BPD patients without comorbidity. The study was conducted from the outpatients of Fırat University Hospital Psychiatry Clinic. 30 patients with a diagnosis of BPD comorbid with OCD, 40 patients with a diagnosis of BPD without OCD comorbidity and 40 healthy controls matched for age, gender were included in the study. The patients and the controls peformed DSM-IV scale structured clinical interview for axis I disoreders (SCID-I), socio-demographic data sheet, Temperament Evaluation of Memphis, Pisa, Paris, San Diego Autoquestionaire (TEMPS-A) and Barratt Impulsivness Scale-11 (BIS-11), additionally Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS) were performed only by the patients. In both groups of patients; dominant depressive, cyclothymic, irritable and anxious temperament frequency and scores were significantly higher than the controls. Hyperthymic temperament was not established neither in patient groups nor in control group. Ther was not a difference on dominant temperament between the BPD patients comorbid OCD or without comorbidity. BIS-11 total and sub-dimensions of patient groups were significantly higher than the control group. The score of attention releated with impulsivness in BPD patients with comorbid OCD were significantly higher. In conclusion, in our study we found that in BPD patients comorbid with OCD or without comorbidity and the healthy population indicates differences in some sub-areas of temperament characteristics and impulsivness. There is need about furthermore studies on affective temperament and impulsivness of BPD patients comorbid with OCD or without comorbidity. Keywords: Bipolar afektif disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, temperament, impulsivity.