Characterization and assessment of executive functions through a virtual cooking task in euthymic patients with bipolar disorder

Autores de IIS La Fe

• Yolanda Cañada Pérez

  Autor

• Julia Andreu Martinez

  Autor

• 

  Ana Cristina García Blanco

  Autor

• Asier Adriasola Zabala

  Autor

• Pablo Navalón Rodríguez

  Autor

• 

  Pilar Sierra San Miguel

  Autor

Participantes ajenos a IIS La Fe

• Torres, SC
• Cristancho, DB
• Giglioli, IAC
• Alcañiz, M

Grupos

• Investigación en Salud Mental

Abstract

Bipolar disorder (BD)1 implies impairments in executive functions during euthymia that interfere in psychosocial functioning. Virtual reality assessments may confer advantages respect to traditional assessments in terms of efficiency and ecological validity. The aim of this study was to validate a novel Virtual Cooking Task (VCT) for executive functions assessment in euthymic patients with BD. This is a cross-sectional study in which a group of BD patients (n = 42) and healthy controls (n = 42) were assessed with the VCT and a battery of computerized standard tasks (CST). Additionally, the influence on psychosocial functioning of both forms of assessment, measured with the FAST, was investigated to check ecological validity. In BD group significant impairments in interference, working memory and sustained attention were found in CST and VCT respect to controls. However, deficits in planning and problem-solving were also revealed with the VCT. With respect to psychosocial functioning, only VCT variables were able to predict FAST scores at the assessment time. The VCT showed a greater sensitivity than CST to assess executive functions and real-life functioning in BD. This provides evidence about the opportunity to design novel cognitive assessments for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes in BD.

Keywords

• Bipolar disorder; Executive functions; Neurocognition; Virtual reality; Cooking task; Functioning