Inhibition and attention in adolescents with nonmanic mood disorders and a high risk for developing mania

Abstract

This study examines psychomotor inhibition, sustained attention, and inhibitory attentional control in adolescents (ages 12–18 years) with a nonmanic mood disorder and with a first-degree relative with bipolar I disorder (MD, N = 20) and demographically matched healthy children of parents without any psychiatric disorder (HC, N = 13). MD participants showed abnormal performance in stop signal reaction time and latency (d = 1.28 and 1.64, respectively), sustained attention response bias (d = 0.75), and color naming speed (d = 0.88). The results indicate that MD participants exhibit psychomotor disinhibition, marginal cognitive slowing and cautious response biases, but no formal deficits in sustained or selective attention.

Keywords:

• Disinhibition
• Attention
• High risk
• Bipolar disorder
• Depression
• Neurocognition

Acknowledgments

This study was supported by the Stanley Medical Research Institute. A preliminary abstract of this paper was presented at the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Annual Meeting, San Diego, CA, USA, October 27, 2006, New Research Poster, D-24.