Social cognitive deficit is associated with visuomotor coordination impairment and dopamine transporter availability in euthymic bipolar disorder

• Published in: Journal of psychiatric research 2023-09, Vol.165, p.158-164
• Main Authors: Tsai, Ying Tsung, Chang, Chih-Yu, Wu, Cheng Ying, Huang, Yu-Lien, Chang, Hui Hua, Lu, Tsung-Hua, Chang, Wei Hung, Chiu, Nan-Tsing, Hsu, Chia-Fen, Yang, Yen Kuang, Chen, Po See, Tseng, Huai-Hsuan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Dopamine transporter; Euthymic bipolar disorder; Social cognition; Visuomotor coordination
• ISSN: 0022-3956; 1879-1379
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2023.07.024

Extensive evidence has suggested functional connections between co-occurring visuomotor and social cognitive deficits in neuropsychiatric disorders; however, such association has not been studied in bipolar disorder (BD). We aimed to investigate the relationship between visuomotor coordination and social cognition in the euthymic stage of BD (euBD). Given the shared neurobiological underpinnings involving the dopaminergic system and corticostriatal circuitry, we hypothesized a positive correlation between social cognition and visuomotor coordination in euBD patients. 40 euBD patients and 59 healthy control (HC) participants underwent evaluation of social (Diagnostic Analysis of Nonverbal Accuracy 2-Taiwan version (DANVA-2-TW)), non-social cognitive function and visuomotor coordination. A subgroup of participants completed single-photon emission computed tomography for striatal dopamine transporter (DAT) availability assessment. EuBD patients showed impaired nonverbal emotion recognition (ps ≤ 0.033) and poorer visuomotor coordination (ps