Abstract
Objective: Evaluate the neurocognitive performance of patients with bipolar affective disorder (BD), followed up in a specialized outpatient clinic, using the Cognitive Complaints in Bipolar Disorder Rating Assessment (COBRA). Methods: An observational, analytical and cross-sectional study was carried out enrolling 18 patients with BD, aged between 18 and 60 years, in addition to 15 individuals in the control group, evaluated during a medical interview. All participants were submitted to the assessment using the COBRA scale and clinical and demographic data were also collected. Results: Patients with BD, whose median age was 39 years, had worse cognitive performance, demonstrated by the higher score on COBRA (20.6 ± 9.7), compared to controls (5.3 ± 2.3). Moreover, a long time off work was also observed among patients with the disorder, with an average of 5.7 ± 2.4 years, and only four (22.2%) reported being currently working. Conclusion: COBRA scale is a viable instrument to be applied in the outpatient routine, which can be a complementary form of monitoring, in order to minimize the interferences that the cognitive impairment causes in the social and occupational areas of patients with BD.