[Social cognitive functioning in first-degree relatives of patients with bipolar disorder. A review of the literature].
INTRODUCTION: Impairments of emotion recognition and theory of mind have been reported in bipolar patients both during the acute phase of the illness and during euthymia. Therefore, social cognitive dysfunction is a possible endophenotype in bipolar disorder. An endophenotype of a disease necessarily appears more often among the relatives of patients who are not affected by the disease than in the general population.
METHODS: In this paper we review studies conducted among the first-degree relatives of bipolar patients that focused on the exploration of possible social cognitive deficits.
RESULTS: Through the database search 13 studies were identified. The results of the studies give minor support to the possible endophenotypic role of social cognition in bipolar disorder.
CONCLUSION: Due to the small amount of data that can be found in the field, no firm conclusion can be drawn, the topic is open for further research.
|