Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Comparative Study
. 2003 Oct;5(5):330-9.
doi: 10.1034/j.1399-5618.2003.00042.x.

No evidence of attentional deficits in stabilized bipolar youth relative to unipolar and control comparators

Heather A Robertson  1 , Stanley P Kutcher, Diane C Lagace
Affiliations
Comparative Study

No evidence of attentional deficits in stabilized bipolar youth relative to unipolar and control comparators

Heather A Robertson et al. Bipolar Disord. 2003 Oct.

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the presence or absence of attentional problems and prior diagnosis of ADHD in a cohort of stabilized bipolar I relative to unipolar and normal control.

Method: Indices of attention were obtained from bipolar (n = 44), unipolar (n = 30), and normal controls (n = 45). Measures included: Freedom from Distractibility (FD) Composite Index of the WISC III, Conners' Continuous Performance Test (CPT), Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), and a checklist measure of subjective cognitive/attentional problems (SIP-AV).

Results: Bipolar (6.8%), unipolar (10%), and no control youth report a prior diagnosis of ADHD. No significant group or sex differences were observed on FD Composite Index, various CPT indices, or the WCST. Despite normative attentional function by objective testing, subjectively experienced cognitive problems in the clinical probands were reported.

Conclusions: This cohort of well-functioning bipolar youth diagnosed on average 3-4 years prior to assessment do not possess attentional deficits based on a variety of objective tests compared to unipolar or control youth, but self report subjective difficulties in attentional/problem solving ability. In contrast to other authors, we do not find that bipolar youth have high rates of comorbid ADHD.

PubMed Disclaimer

Publication types