ASPOFAFF :: Journal - Volume 2 :: Volume 2 - Issue 1 :: Vol 2 - Iss 1 - Short Communication - Premorbid Intellectual Functioning in Bipolar Disorder and Schizophrenia


	Home


	Shopping Cart


	Contact Us


	IRBD.ORG


	EUBF.ORG

All Enquiries:: +44 (0)20 8487 1421

Search:

Advanced search

Printable version

Categories

Help

ASPOFAFF :: Journal - Volume 2 :: Volume 2 - Issue 1 :: Vol 2 - Iss 1 - Short Communication - Premorbid Intellectual Functioning in Bipolar Disorder and Schizophrenia

Vol 2 - Iss 1 - Short Communication - Premorbid Intellectual Functioning in Bipolar Disorder and Schizophrenia #78

Premorbid Intellectual Functioning in Bipolar Disorder and Schizophrenia

Jari Tiihonen1, Jari Haukka, Markus Henriksson, Mary Cannon, Tuula Kieseppä, Ilmo Laaksonen, Juhani Sinivuo, Jouko Lönnqvist
1 Department of Forensic Psychiatry, University of Kuopio, Niuvanniemi Hospital, Kuopio
Department of Psychiatry, University of Helsinki, and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki
Department of Clinical Physiology, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio
Department of Mental Health and Alcohol Research, National Public Health Institute, Helsinki
Central Military Hospital, Finnish Defence Forces, Helsinki
Behavioral Sciences Division, Finnish Defence Forces Education Development Centre, Tuusula, Finland Finland Division of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, London, UK

Objective: Premorbid intellectual impairment has been consistently described in schizophrenia but little is known about premorbid intellectual functioning in bipolar disorder or other psychoses. The aim of the study was to investigate the premorbid intellectual ability in individuals later diagnosed with bipolar disorder, schizophrenia or other psychoses.

Methods: The results of verbal, arithmetic, and visuospatial reasoning tests were obtained from apparently healthy 195,019 male subjects conscripted into the Finnish Defense Forces during 1982 – 1987 (mean age 19 years). Linkage with the Finnish Hospital Discharge Register data (mean follow-up time 7.1 years) identified those conscripts who had later been diagnosed with bipolar disorder (N = 100), schizophrenia (N = 621) and other non-schizophrenic, non-affective psychoses (N = 527).

Results: Poor visuospatial reasoning test performance at age 19 was associated with an increased risk for all three disorders: (p < 0.0001 for linear trend in all categories). The odds ratios (OR) between the lowest and highest of 9 performance categories were 34.7 (95% CI 4.1 – 296.4) for bipolar disorder, 13.8 (95% CI 5.5 – 34.5) for schizophrenia and 4.3 (95% CI 2.1 – 8.8) for other psychoses. In contrast, the higher the score in the arithmetic test at age 19, the greater was the risk of bipolar disorder (p = 0.008 for linear trend). A high score in the arithmetic test was associated with over a 12-fold risk for bipolar disorder. Performance in the verbal test score was not associated with increased risk for psychiatric disorder.

Conclusions: These results show the first evidence indicating that premorbid visuospatial reasoning is impaired in bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, and, to a smaller extent, also in other psychoses. This suggests that a subtle neurodevelopmental aberration is involved with the etiology of both bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. High arithmetic test performance may be associated with an increased risk for bipolar disorder.

References: Tiihonen J, Haukka J, Henriksson M, Cannon M, Kieseppä T, Laaksonen I, Sinivuo J, Lönnqvist J: Premorbid intellectual functioning in bipolar disorder and schizophrenia: results from a cohort study of male conscripts. Am J Psychiatry, accepted for publication, 2005.

Details

Price: €0.01

Options

Quantity

Add to cart

Send to friend

Your name: *

Your e-mail: *

Recipient's e-mail: *

Send to friend

Your cart

	Cart is empty

View cart
Checkout

Authentication

Username

Password

Recover password

If Javascript is disabled in your browser click here