C Hıdıroglu^a, SN Gurz Yalcin^a, B Bagci^b, YC Yalcin Arslan^a, Z Tunca^a, O Demirci Esen^c, A Ozerdem^a

^aDokuz Eylul University, Izmir, Turkey, ^bDepartment of Psychiatry, Dokuz Eylul University Faculty of Medicine, Izmir, Turkey, ^cDepartment of Neuroscience, Health Sciences Institute, Dokuz Eylul University, Izmir, Turkey

Introduction: Risk taking behavior and impulsivity are considered as core features of bipolar disorder (BD). The genetic component of the illness is evident. The aim of the study was to evaluate risk taking behavior and impulsivity in bipolar patients and their unaffected first-degree relatives in comparison to healthy controls. Method: Thirty DSM-IV euthymic patients with BD-I, their 25 unaffected first-degree relatives and 30 sex-, age-, and educationwise-matched healthy controls were included in the study. The Barratt Impulsiveness Scale–11 (BIS–11) and computerized Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART) were used to assess impulsivity and risk taking behavior. Difference in the numbers of pumping after successfully inflated balloons and after popped balloons on BART was considered as adjustment.

Results: Patients and relatives did not differ in adjustment, but both groups performed significantly lower than healthy controls (p

= 0.00 for patients versus controls; p = 0.002 for first degree relatives versus controls). All three groups significantly reduced pumping after popped balloons (p = 0.00 for all groups). Bipolar patients had significantly higher total BIS-11 scores than controls. There was no statistically significant relationship between patients' clinical variables and BART adjustment or BIS scores.

Conclusion: Findings support a genetic component of the risk taking behavior in bipolar disorder. Together with this, being independent from the clinical features and existing during euthymia as seen in this study may make impulsivity and risk taking behavior strong endophenotype candidates for BD.

Journal compilation ª 2010 John Wiley & Sons A ⁄ S, Bipolar Disorders, 12 (Suppl. 1), 1–65