Research Validates Dulled Thinking Effect in Depression and Bipolar Disorder

New research from the University of Michigan has revealed more information regarding reports by depression and bipolar disorder sufferers who experience unexplained dulled-thinking abilities before the onset of their symptoms. Their findings, published in the journal BRAIN, explored prolonged cognitive testing of participants with depression and bipolar disorder while using advanced real-time brain scanning techniques. On the brain scans, the researchers found that the women with depression or bipolar disorder had different levels of activity compared to the healthy women in the right posterior parietal cortex. In those with depression, the activity in this area was higher than in healthy individuals, while in those with bipolar disorder it was lower. The area where the differences were seen helps control executive-function activities such as working memory, problem solving and reasoning. “In all, we show a shared cognitive dysfunction in women with mood disorders, which were pronounced in the cognitive control tests and more nuanced in scans. These findings support the idea of seeing mood disorders dimensionally, as a continuum of function to dysfunction across illnesses that are more alike than distinct,” said the lead author. “Traditionally in psychiatry we look at a specific diagnosis, or category. But the neurobiology is not categorical — we’re not finding huge differences between what clinicians see as categories of disease. This raises questions about traditional diagnoses.” To learn more about this study, click here.