ABSTRACT
Background: Most studies on cognitive impairment in bipolar disorder have neglected the role of early stress, despite the high frequency of childhood maltreatment in this clinical group. The aim of this study was to establish a connection between a history of emotional, physical, and sexual abuse in childhood and social cognition (SC) in patients with bipolar disorder type I (BD-I) in euthymia, and to test a possible moderating effect of the single nucleotide polymorphism rs53576 in the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR). Methods: One hundred and one participants were included in this study. History of child abuse was evaluated using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form. Cognitive functioning was appraised using The Awareness of Social Inference Test (social cognition). The interaction effect between the independent variables OXTR rs53576 (AA/AG and GG) and the absence or presence of any one type of child maltreatment or a combination of types was analyzed using a generalized linear model regression. Results: BD-I patients who had been victims of physical and emotional abuse in childhood and were carriers of the GG genotype at OXTR rs53576 displayed greater SC alterations, specifically in emotion recognition. Discussion: This gene-environment interaction finding suggests a differential susceptibility model of a genetic variants that can be plausibly associated with SC functioning and might help to identify at-risk clinical subgroups within a diagnostic category. Future research aimed at testing the interlevel impact of early stress constitutes an ethical-clinical duty given the high rates of childhood maltreatment reported in BD-I patients.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: A history of child abuse is common and has a significant impact in the clinical course of patients diagnosed with bipolar disorders (BD). AIMS: To assess the frequency of child abuse experiences in patients BD type I and to evaluate its association with clinical course and cognitive functioning variables. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 117 patients with BD aged 45 ± 14 years (66% women) answered the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ). The clinical course (illness onset, history of suicide attempts and number of hospitalizations) was obtained from medical records. Cognitive functioning was evaluated through social and non-social cognition tasks. RESULTS: 64% of participants reported some type of child abuse. This variable was associated with an early onset of the disease (Odds ratio (OR) = 3.3; p < 0.02), increased risk of suicide attempts (OR = 2.4; p < 0.04) and specific disturbances in social cognitive tasks. CONCLUSIONS: Our study supports evidence of a common history of child abuse in patients with BD. Although child abuse predicts a worse clinical course, major clinical practice guidelines, as well as research designs, do not highlight this evidence.
Subject(s)
Bipolar Disorder , Adult , Child , Child Abuse , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Suicide, Attempted , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
Background: A history of child abuse is common and has a significant impact in the clinical course of patients diagnosed with bipolar disorders (BD). Aims: To assess the frequency of child abuse experiences in patients BD type I and to evaluate its association with clinical course and cognitive functioning variables. Material and Methods: 117 patients with BD aged 45 ± 14 years (66% women) answered the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ). The clinical course (illness onset, history of suicide attempts and number of hospitalizations) was obtained from medical records. Cognitive functioning was evaluated through social and non-social cognition tasks. Results: 64% of participants reported some type of child abuse. This variable was associated with an early onset of the disease (Odds ratio (OR) = 3.3; p < 0.02), increased risk of suicide attempts (OR = 2.4; p < 0.04) and specific disturbances in social cognitive tasks. Conclusions: Our study supports evidence of a common history of child abuse in patients with BD. Although child abuse predicts a worse clinical course, major clinical practice guidelines, as well as research designs, do not highlight this evidence.