Influence of Sex and Diagnosis on Clinical Variables and Neurocognitive Performance in Severe Mental Illness. Results From the PsyCourse Study.

Introduction: Bipolar disorder (BD) and schizophrenia (SZ) are serious mental illnesses (SMI) with overlapping symptoms but distinct differences in onset and course. Sex differences are an area of growing interest in SMI. This study aims to examine potential interactions between sex and diagnosis across a broad range of variables, to compare males and females within SZ and BD, and to investigate sex-specific group differences.

Comparing cognitive reserve between patients with bipolar disorder, other psychiatric disorders and healthy controls: a systematic review and multilevel meta-analysis.

Background: Cognitive Reserve (CR) has been proposed as a protective factor against cognitive decline and functional impairment in psychiatric disorders, including bipolar disorder (BD). However, how CR differs between BD, other psychiatric populations, and healthy individuals remains unclear.

Objective: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate differences in CR between individuals with BD, healthy controls (HCs), at-risk populations, and patients with other psychiatric disorders.

Mind the gap: The impact of discrepancy between current cognitive function and premorbid intelligence on psychosocial functioning in older age bipolar disorder.

Introduction: A discrepancy between current cognitive performance and premorbid IQ may indicate cognitive decline and relate to poorer psychosocial functioning in bipolar disorder, even when cognition appears unimpaired by standard norms. This study examined how objective cognition and IQ-cognition discrepancy relate to psychosocial functioning in older age bipolar disorder (OABD).

Methods: OABD underwent neurocognitive assessment, intelligence quotient (IQ) estimation (using vocabulary subtest of WAIS-III), and psychosocial functioning assessment via the Functioning Assessment Short Test (FAST).

Efficacy of psychosocial interventions on social functioning in individuals with childhood maltreatment experiences: a protocol for a systematic review and network meta-analysis.

Several psychosocial interventions have shown promising effects in treating people affected by childhood maltreatment (CM); however, their comparative efficacy on social functioning remains largely unknown. To address this issue, a systematic review and network meta-analysis (NMA) will be conducted to investigate the comparative efficacy of different psychosocial interventions on global social functioning and specific domains of social functioning, including behavioural, emotional, cognitive and physiological processes. We aim to develop a hierarchical ranking of existing psychosocial interventions concerning their efficacy and acceptability which could inform treatment guidelines.

Sex differences in psychosocial functioning and neurocognition in bipolar disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Introduction: Impairment in both psychosocial functioning and neurocognition (NC) performance is present in bipolar disorder (BD) yet the role of sex differences in these deficits remains unclear. The present systematic review and meta-analysis examined whether males and females with BD demonstrate differences in psychosocial functioning and NC performance.

Methods: The Cochrane Library, EMBASE, PsycINFO, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases were systematically searched from inception until November 20, 2023.

Neurocognitive and psychosocial functioning profiles in bipolar disorder and comorbid attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Bipolar disorder (BD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are chronic psychiatric conditions with significant impacts on neurocognitive and psychosocial functioning. Co-occurrence of BD and ADHD (BD-ADHD) presents unique clinical challenges and could exacerbate cognitive and functional impairments. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to provide an updated synthesis of the differences in neurocognitive and psychosocial functioning between patients with BD-ADHD, BD, ADHD, and healthy controls (HC).

Contrasting genetic burden for bipolar disorder: Early onset versus late onset in an older adult bipolar disorder sample.

Older Adults with Bipolar Disorder (OABD) represent a heterogeneous group, including those with early and late onset of the disorder. Recent evidence shows both groups have distinct clinical, cognitive, and medical features, tied to different neurobiological profiles. This study explored the link between polygenic risk scores (PRS) for bipolar disorder (PRS-BD), schizophrenia (PRS-SCZ), and major depressive disorder (PRS-MDD) with age of onset in OABD.

The impact of sex in the effectiveness of functional remediation in bipolar disorder.

Background: Functional recovery remains a core clinical objective for patients with bipolar disorder (BD). Sociodemographic, clinical, and neurocognitive variables are associated with long-term functional impairment, yet the impact of sex differences is unclear. Functional remediation (FR) is a validated intervention aimed at achieving functional recovery in BD.

Facing Life in Old Age: Exploring Resilience in Older Adults with Bipolar Disorder.

Older adults with bipolar disorder (OABD) are individuals aged 50 years and older with bipolar disorder (BD). People with BD may have fewer coping strategies or resilience. A long duration of the disease, as seen in this population, could affect the development of resilience strategies, but this remains under-researched.

Predictors of Functional Impairment in Bipolar Disorder: Results From 13 Cohorts From Seven Countries by the Global Bipolar Cohort Collaborative.

Objectives: Persistent functional impairment is common in bipolar disorder (BD) and is influenced by a number of demographic, clinical, and cognitive features. The goal of this project was to estimate and compare the influence of key factors on community function in multiple cohorts of well-characterized samples of individuals with BD.

Methods: Thirteen cohorts from 7 countries included = 5882 individuals with BD across multiple sites.

Cognitive reserve moderates the relationship between childhood maltreatment, objective and subjective cognition, and psychosocial functioning in individuals with first-episode psychosis.

Objective: This study aimed to assess the relationship between childhood maltreatment (CM), objective and subjective cognition, and psychosocial functioning in adults with first-episode psychosis (FEP) by examining the moderating role of cognitive reserve (CR). A secondary objective was to explore whether unique CM subtypes (physical and/or emotional abuse, sexual abuse, physical and/or emotional neglect) were driving this relationship.

Method: Sixty-six individuals with FEP ( = 27.

Study protocol - elucidating the neural correlates of functional remediation for older adults with bipolar disorder.

Introduction: Beyond mood abnormalities, bipolar disorder (BD) includes cognitive impairments that worsen psychosocial functioning and quality of life. These deficits are especially severe in older adults with BD (OABD), a condition expected to represent most individuals with BD in the upcoming years. Restoring the psychosocial functioning of this population will thus soon represent a public health priority.

Validity and Reliability of the Digital Functioning Assessment Short Test (D-FAST) in the Brazilian Sample.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has caused major disruptions in all aspects of daily functioning, from school and work to interactions with friends and family. The Functioning Assessment Short Test (FAST) is an interviewer-administered scale validated in the psychiatric sample with no previous study assessing its validity and reliability in a digital format. Thus, we aimed to analyse the psychometric properties of the digital version of the FAST and understand the implications of COVID-19 and restrictive measures on functioning.

Psychotropic drug repurposing for COVID-19: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Several psychotropic drugs, including antidepressants (AD), mood stabilizers, and antipsychotics (AP) have been suggested to have favorable effects in the treatment of COVID-19. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to collect evidence from studies concerning the scientific evidence for the repurposing of psychotropic drugs in COVID-19 treatment. Two independent authors searched PubMed-MEDLINE, Scopus, PsycINFO, and ClinicalTrials.

Aging in bipolar disorder: Cognitive performance and clinical factors based on an adulthood-lifespan perspective.

Background: The evolution of cognitive performance throughout the lifespan in bipolar disorder (BD) is understudied. This cross-sectional study aims to describe the cognitive performance across age groups.

Methods: A sample of 654 participants was recruited for this study (BD = 432 and healthy controls -HC- =222).

Emotional intelligence: a comparison between patients after first episode mania and those suffering from chronic bipolar disorder type I.

Background: Deficits in emotional intelligence (EI) were detected in patients with bipolar disorder (BD), but little is known about whether these deficits are already present in patients after presenting a first episode mania (FEM). We sought (i) to compare EI in patients after a FEM, chronic BD and healthy controls (HC); (ii) to examine the effect exerted on EI by socio-demographic, clinical and neurocognitive variables in FEM patients.

Methods: The Emotional Intelligence Quotient (EIQ) was calculated with the Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT).

Predictors of functional impairment in bipolar disorder: Results from 13 cohorts from seven countries by the global bipolar cohort collaborative.

Objectives: Persistent functional impairment is common in bipolar disorder (BD) and is influenced by a number of demographic, clinical, and cognitive features. The goal of this project was to estimate and compare the influence of key factors on community function in multiple cohorts of well-characterized samples of individuals with BD.

Methods: Thirteen cohorts from 7 countries included n = 5882 individuals with BD across multiple sites.

Identifying neurocognitive heterogeneity in Older Adults with Bipolar Disorder: a cluster analysis.

Background: Cognitive profiles of BD patients show a demonstrated heterogeneity among young and middle-aged patients, but this issue has not yet deeply explored in Older Adults with bipolar disorder (OABD). The aim of the present study was to analyze cognitive variability in a sample of OABD.

Methods: A total of 138 OABD patients and 73 healthy controls were included in this study.

Sex differences in neurocognitive and psychosocial functioning in bipolar disorder.

Background: Sex differences influence the clinical characteristics and course of illness of bipolar disorder (BD).

Objective: Therefore, the aim of the present study was to examine the role of sex differences in neurocognitive performance and psychosocial functioning in a large sample of euthymic patients suffering from BD.

Methods: The sample included 462 individuals, 347 patients with BD (148 males and 199 females) and 115 healthy controls (HC) (45 males and 70 females).

Self-reported neurocognitive symptoms during COVID-19 lockdown and its associated factors in a sample of psychiatric patients. Results from the BRIS-MHC study.

Lockdown caused by COVID-19 pandemic has a negative impact on mental health. The aim was to assess self-reported neurocognitive symptoms during the lockdown and identify associated vulnerable and protective factors in a sample of psychiatric patients in a Spanish population. These results are part of the Barcelona ResIlience Survey for Mental Health COVID-19 (BRIS-MHC) project.

Efficacy of an integrative approach for bipolar disorder: preliminary results from a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Bipolar disorder (BD) represents one of the most therapeutically complex psychiatric disorders. The development of a feasible comprehensive psychological approach to complement pharmacotherapy to improve its clinical management is required. The main objective of the present randomized controlled trial (RCT) was to test the efficacy of a novel adjunctive treatment entitled integrative approach in patients with BD, including: psychoeducation, mindfulness training, and functional remediation.

Effectiveness of enhancing cognitive reserve in children, adolescents and young adults at genetic risk for psychosis: Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Offspring of patients diagnosed with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia (Off-BDSZ) have a high genetic risk of developing a mental illness. The aim of this project is to develop and investigate the efficacy of an intervention aimed at this population, based on the concept of cognitive reserve.

Methods: This is a multicenter randomized trial with an experimental test-retest design study with control group.