Bipolar disorder (BD) is characterized by recurrent episodes of depression and mania/hypomania. The average age of onset for bipolar disorder is relatively young, as it could start from as early as preadolescence through the entire lifespan. According to abundant empirical studies, cognitive impairments in BD were commonly considered as infrequent and limited to the affective episodes. Novel insights pointed out that there is scientific evidence supporting the fact that cognitive impairments have been long-lastingly and stably observed among people with BD. It has been revealed that more than 50 percent of people with prolonged BD over 60 years have cognitive impairment. Studies have also found that people diagnosed with BD often show cognitive decline during mood episodes and even during the euthymic state, and the cognitive decline may develop dementia in some of the population. The emergence of dementia-like syndromes in the course of BD raises questions about the links between bipolar disorder, cognitive impairment, and dementia.This research topic is specifically looking at links between bipolar disorder, cognitive impairment, and dementia. For example, the following questions may be addressed.1) Why do people diagnosed with bipolar disorder suffer from cognitive decline that leads to dementia?2) Which type (e.g., Bipolar I or II) of bipolar disorder is likely to develop dementia?3) What factors (e.g., number of recurrences, drugs such as lithium) are likely to develop or protect against dementia?4) What genetic factors are associated with the links between bipolar disorder, cognitive decline, and dementia?5) Which type of dementia is likely to develop in people with bipolar disorder?We aim to collect relevant articles that strive to answer these questions and reveal the links between bipolar disorder, cognitive decline, and dementia. We welcome cross-sectional studies, prospective or retrospective longitudinal studies, qualitative reviews, and quantitative reviews such as meta-analyses. We hope that through the articles collected in this Research Topic, we can get some answers to the above questions.
Bipolar disorder (BD) is characterized by recurrent episodes of depression and mania/hypomania. The average age of onset for bipolar disorder is relatively young, as it could start from as early as preadolescence through the entire lifespan. According to abundant empirical studies, cognitive impairments in BD were commonly considered as infrequent and limited to the affective episodes. Novel insights pointed out that there is scientific evidence supporting the fact that cognitive impairments have been long-lastingly and stably observed among people with BD. It has been revealed that more than 50 percent of people with prolonged BD over 60 years have cognitive impairment. Studies have also found that people diagnosed with BD often show cognitive decline during mood episodes and even during the euthymic state, and the cognitive decline may develop dementia in some of the population. The emergence of dementia-like syndromes in the course of BD raises questions about the links between bipolar disorder, cognitive impairment, and dementia.This research topic is specifically looking at links between bipolar disorder, cognitive impairment, and dementia. For example, the following questions may be addressed.1) Why do people diagnosed with bipolar disorder suffer from cognitive decline that leads to dementia?2) Which type (e.g., Bipolar I or II) of bipolar disorder is likely to develop dementia?3) What factors (e.g., number of recurrences, drugs such as lithium) are likely to develop or protect against dementia?4) What genetic factors are associated with the links between bipolar disorder, cognitive decline, and dementia?5) Which type of dementia is likely to develop in people with bipolar disorder?We aim to collect relevant articles that strive to answer these questions and reveal the links between bipolar disorder, cognitive decline, and dementia. We welcome cross-sectional studies, prospective or retrospective longitudinal studies, qualitative reviews, and quantitative reviews such as meta-analyses. We hope that through the articles collected in this Research Topic, we can get some answers to the above questions.