Table 1.
Sociodemographic, clinical, pharmacological, and cognitive characteristics
| Variable | Levels | n (%) or mean ± SD or median [IQR] |
|---|---|---|
| Sociodemographic characteristics | ||
| Age, years | 61.00 [57.00–67.00] | |
| Sex | Female | 68 (56.2%) |
| Male | 53 (43.8%) | |
| Occupational status | Unemployed | 4 (4.5%) |
| Temporary work leave | 6 (6.7%) | |
| Permanent work leave | 38 (42.7%) | |
| Retired | 24 (27%) | |
| Working | 15 (16.9%) | |
| Others | 2 (2.2%) | |
| Years of education | 14.00 [10.75–17.00] | |
| Clinical characteristics | ||
| Diagnosis | Bipolar disorder type I | 74 (61.2%) |
| Bipolar disorder type II | 47 (38.8%) | |
| Age at illness onset, years | 33.00 [23.00–41.50] | |
| Hamilton depression rating scale total score | 5.00 [3.00–8.00] | |
| Young-mania rating scale total score | 1.00 [0.00–4.00] | |
| Illness duration, years | 27.82 ± 12.71 | |
| Number of depressive episodes | 5.00 [3.00–12.00] | |
| Number of hypomanic episodes | 3.00 [1.00–8.00] | |
| Number of manic episodes | 1.00 [0.00–2.00] | |
| Total number of mood episodes | 11.00 [6.00–23.25] | |
| Number of psychiatric hospitalizations | 1.00 [0.00–3.00] | |
| Axis I comorbidity | 11 (10.2%) | |
| Axis II comorbidity | 16 (15%) | |
| Axis III comorbidity | 81 (78.6%) | |
| Type of first mood episode | Depressive | 74 (74.7%) |
| Hypomanic | 6 (6.1%) | |
| Manic | 19 (19.2%) | |
| Psychotic symptoms at first episode (yes) | 20 (21.3%) | |
| Lifetime psychotic symptoms (yes) | 53 (50.5%) | |
| Pharmacological characteristics | ||
| Lithium | 58 (47.9%) | |
| Anticonvulsants | 82 (67.8%) | |
| Antipsychotics | 90 (74.4%) | |
| Antidepressants | 45 (37.2%) | |
| Benzodiazepines | 44 (36.4%) | |
| CALS total score | 3.00 [2.00–4.00] | |
| Cognitive characteristics (z-scores) | ||
| Attention | −0.70 ± 0.89 | |
| Processing speed | −1.34 ± 1.44 | |
| Working memory | −0.57 ± 1.01 | |
| Visual and verbal memory | −0.95 ± 1.24 | |
| Executive functions | −0.68 ± 0.89 | |
Abbreviation: CALS, CRIDECO Anticholinergic Load Scale.
Note: Continuous variables are presented as mean ± standard deviation (SD) or median (interquartile range, IQR), as appropriate. Categorical variables are presented as number (percentage). Cognitive domain scores are expressed as z-scores relative to healthy controls aged >50 years, with lower scores indicating poorer cognitive performance. Percentages are calculated based on available data for each variable.