Sustained attention as a potential endophenotype for bipolar disorder.

OBJECTIVE: Nowadays, it is accepted that to identify the biological basis of psychiatric illnesses it would be useful to deconstruct them into the most basic manifestations, such as cognitive deficits. The aim of this study was to set attention deficit as a stable vulnerability marker of bipolar disorder. METHOD: Sustained attention was evaluated by the Continuous Performance Test (DS-CPT) in 143 euthymic bipolar patients and 105 controls. To estimate the influence of clinical profile in attention, patients completed a semi-structured interview. RESULTS: Bipolar patients showed a deficit in attention during euthymic periods. This disturbance correlated with years of evolution, age of onset and age of first hospitalisation; and was not influenced by other clinical data. CONCLUSION: Sustained attention may be considered as an endophenotype of the illness.

[Cognitive performance of right-handed and left-handed persons on the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS-III)]. / Rendimiento cognitivo de diestros y zurdos en la escala de inteligencia de Wechsler para adultos (WAIS-III).

AIM: To contribute to the knowledge of the cognitive differences existent between right-handed and left-handed evaluating the cognitive outcome in a group of adults right-handed and another group of left-handed of similar characteristic (age, gender, cultural level) by means of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS-III). SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Two groups were studied: one formed by 25 right-handed (RHG) and another formed by 25 left-handed (LHG). None of those subject of the study presented mental deficiency neither neurological dysfunctions. The age stocking was of 24.28 years, with a range between 20 and 28 years. RESULTS: There are not differences in the intellectual quotient (verbal and performance), among the two groups. The LHG obtains worse results that the right-handed in speed of prosecution and in the subtests of arithmetic and key, while the RHG has obtained better results in the subtest of incomplete figures. CONCLUSIONS: The LHG has a cognitive yield similar to that of the RHG, with slight deficiencies in activities of visoperceptual component. It becomes necessary to continue deepening in the neuropsychological and cognitive differences between right-handed and left-handed, since the cognitive outcome of the left-handed ones continues being a topic in discussion.

Rendimiento cognitivo de diestros y zurdos en la escala de inteligencia de Wechsler para adultos (WAIS-III) / Cognitive performance of right-handed and left-handed persons on the wechsler adult intelligence scale (WAIS-III)

Objetivo. Contribuir al conocimiento de las diferencias cognitivas existentes entre diestros y zurdos, mediante la valoración del rendimiento cognitivo en un grupo de sujetos adultos diestros y otro de zurdos de similares características en cuanto al género, edad y nivel cultural gracias a la escala de inteligencia de Wechsler para adultos (WAIS-III). Sujetos y métodos. Se estudiaron dos grupos: uno formado por 25 diestros (GD) y otro formado por 25 zurdos (GZ). Ninguno de los sujetos del estudio presentaba deficiencias mentales ni trastornos neurológicos. La media de edad era de 24,28 años, con un rango entre 20 y 28 años. Resultados. No hay diferencias en el cociente intelectual (verbal y manipulativo),entre los dos grupos. El GZ obtuvo peores resultados que los diestros en velocidad de procesamiento y en las pruebas de aritmética y claves, mientras que el GD consiguió mejores resultados en el subtest de figuras incompletas. Conclusiones. El GZ tiene un rendimiento cognitivo similar al del GD, con ligeras deficiencias en actividades de componente visuoperceptivo. Se hace necesario seguir profundizando en las diferencias cognitivas y neuropsicológicas entre diestros y zurdos, ya que el rendimiento cognitivo de los zurdos continúa siendo un tema en discusión (AU)

Aim. To contribute to the knowledge of the cognitive differences existent between right-handed and left-handed evaluating the cognitive outcome in a group of adults right-handed and another group of left-handed of similar characteristic(age, gender, cultural level) by means of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS-III). Subjects and methods. Two groups were studied: one formed by 25 right-handed (RHG) and another formed by 25 left-handed (LHG). None of those subject of the study presented mental deficiency neither neurological dysfunctions. The age stocking was of 24.28 years, with a range between 20 and 28 years. Results. There are not differences in the intellectual quotient (verbal and performance), among the two groups. The LHG obtains worse results that the right-handed in speed of prosecution and in the subtests of arithmetic and key, while the RHG has obtained better results in the subtest of incomplete figures. Conclusions. The LHG has a cognitive yield similar to that of the RHG, with slight deficiencies in activities of visoperceptual component. It becomes necessary to continue deepening in the neuropsychological and cognitive differences between right-handed and left-handed, since the cognitive outcome of the left-handed ones continues being a topic in discussion (AU)