Abstract
Bipolar disorder (BD) and temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) overlap in domains including epidemiology, treatment response, shared neurotransmitter involvement and temporal lobe pathology. Comparison of cognitive function in both disorders may indicate temporal lobe mediated processes relevant to BD. This systematic review examines neuropsychological test profiles in euthymic bipolar disorder type I (BD-I) and pre-surgical TLE and compares experimental designs used. A search of PubMed, PsychINFO, and Scopus using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines was conducted. Inclusion criteria were comparison group or pre- to post-surgical patients; reported neuropsychological tests; participants aged 18-60 years. Fifty six studies met criteria: 27 BD-I; 29 TLE. Deficits in BD-I compared to healthy controls (HC) were in executive function, attention span and verbal memory. Deficits in TLE compared to HC were in executive function and memory. In the pre- to post-surgical comparisons, verbal memory in left temporal lobe (LTL) and, less consistently, visuospatial memory in right temporal lobe (RTL) epilepsy declined following surgery. BD-I studies used comprehensive test batteries in well-defined euthymic patients compared to matched HC groups. TLE studies used convenience samples pre- to post-surgery, comparing LTL and RTL subgroups, few included comparisons to HC (5 studies). TLE studies typically examined a narrow range of known temporal lobe-mediated neuropsychological functions, particularly verbal and visuospatial memory. Both disorders exhibit deficits in executive function and verbal memory suggestive of both frontal and temporal lobe involvement. However, deficits in TLE are measured pre- to post-surgery and not controlled at baseline pre-surgery. Further research involving a head-to-head comparison of the two disorders on a broad range of neuropsychological tests is needed to clarify the nature and extent of cognitive deficits and potential overlaps.
Highlights
Bipolar disorder type I (BD-I) is typically characterized by episodes of mania and depression with inter-episode euthymia
Most studies have examined cognitive deficits in euthymic patients with BD-I compared to healthy controls (HC)
Studies of BD-I are summarized in Table 1 and of temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) in Table 2 detailing authors, sample sizes, medication (BD-I only as this was not recorded in the TLE samples), neuropsychological test parameters, and summary results
Summary
Bipolar disorder type I (BD-I) is typically characterized by episodes of mania and depression with inter-episode euthymia. Five meta-analyses have reported impairments in cognitive domains of executive functioning [3,4,5,6,7], verbal memory [3, 5,6,7], visuospatial memory [7], and attention [4, 6]. One meta-analysis found no impairment of verbal memory and executive function in BD-I compared to HC [8]. The absence of an association between cognitive impairment and medication dose in euthymic BD-I patients suggest the effects of medication do not fully account for the cognitive impairments observed [4] These meta-analyses support the assumption that cognitive impairments exhibited in the euthymic phase are trait markers of the disorder. This systematic review examines neuropsychological test profiles in euthymic bipolar disorder type I (BD-I) and pre-surgical TLE and compares experimental designs used
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