Reversal-learning deficits in childhood-onset bipolar disorder across the transition from childhood to young adulthood.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Bipolar disorder (BD) is a severe mental illness that can have high costs for youths (<18 years old) and adults. Relative to healthy controls (HC), individuals with BD often show impaired attention, working memory, executive function, and cognitive flexibility (the ability to adapt to changing reward/punishment contingencies). In our study of youths and young adults with BD, we investigated 1) how cognitive flexibility varies developmentally in BD, and 2) whether it is independent of other executive function deficits associated with BD.

Methods

We measured errors on a reversal-learning task, as well as spatial working memory and other executive function, among participants with BD (N=75) and HC (N=130), 7-27 years old. Regression analyses focused on the effects of

SUBMITTER: Wegbreit E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4975956 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature