Bauer IE, et al. – Using a range of self–rating and behavioral measures of impulsivity, the aim of this cross–sectional study was to compare impulsive behavior in older euthymic bipolar disorder (BD) patients and healthy people. In BD impulsive reward–based decision making persist into late adulthood.

Methods

• For the purpose of this study, twenty-eight BD patients (56.07±4.08 years, 16 women) and fifteen healthy controls (HC; 55.1±3.95 years, 6 women) were administered the Barratt Impulsivity Scale (BIS) and selected tasks of the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Batter (CANTAB) reflecting impulsivity.
• After that, multivariate analysis of variance controlled for age compared impulsivity measures across BD and HC.

Results

• According to the findings obtained, BD patients showed poor decision making, risk taking, and increased delay aversion.
• In addition, other measures of impulsivity such as response inhibition, sustained cognitive control, and BIS scores were, overall, comparable between BD and HC.