Demographic, psychiatric, and substance dependence information from these two groups are presented (Table II). By design, participants were similar in terms of demographic characteristics including age, education, ethnicity, and sex. Twelve of the participants had a diagnosis of Bipolar I, and an additional 3 participants had a diagnosis of Bipolar II. Half (9/18) of the participants in the Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical HIV+ group

without bipolar disorder met criteria for a lifetime diagnosis of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD); however, only 11% (2/18) met criteria for a current depressive episode. Twenty-seven percent (4/15) of participants in the bipolar group met criteria for a current depressive episode and an equivalent amount (27%; 4/15) met criteria for a current manic episode (2 manic episodes, 1 hypomanic episode, 1 extreme irritability episode). Also as anticipated, participants in the bipolar group tended to take a Etoposide research buy greater number of psychotropic medications; Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical 93% (14/15) in bipolar group were taking more than one psychotropic medication as compared with 33% (6/18) in the group without bipolar disorder. The bipolar group also had higher scores on both the Young Mania Rating Scale and the Beck Depression Inventory-II, and lower scores on global assessment, of functioning. Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical Table II Demographic, psychiatric, and substance abuse/dependence characteristics of study group

(HIV+/BD+ v. HIV+/BD-). Data are mean (SD) or percent (n). * Other bipolar participants are bipolar II (n=3). BD, bipolar disorder; BDI-II, Beck Depression Inventory … The rates of current alcohol, marijuana, and methamphetamine Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical dependence were

relatively low in both groups; however, rates of lifetime marijuana and methamphetamine dependence were elevated among participants with bipolar disorder and HIV infection as compared Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical with those with HIV alone, and rates of lifetime alcohol dependence were elevated in both groups (Table II). When examining abuse or dependence of methamphetamine instead of focusing exclusively on dependence, 65% (9/15) of the bipolar group met criteria for lifetime methamphetamine abuse or dependence as compared with 28% (5/18) in the group without bipolar disorder. Detailed neuropsychological test results arc pending larger sample sizes; however, with the cognitive impairments during found in both bipolar disorder and persons with methamphetamine dependence, we anticipate significant neuropsychological impairments among our participants with both bipolar disorder and HIV infection, and possibly even greater impairments among those with bipolar disorder, HIV infection, and methamphetamine dependence. Implications of impaired cognition for everyday functioning among persons with bipolar disorder Cognitive impairment, appears to be one of the strongest predictors of everyday functioning difficulties in several populations including bipolar disorder24 and HIV infection.