fMRI of Flight of Ideas in Bipolar Disorder
fMRI of Flight of Ideas in Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar disorder is a mental disease characterized by mood dysregulation and arises from
 manic, depressive or mixed episodes. The observations of the patient's speech and language
 behaviour due to flight of ideas or loss of goal probably result from an underlying
 disturbance in semantic networks dealing with semantic associations. The aim of our study
 will be to have a better comprehension of thought disorders in bipolar disorder by cognitive
 exploration of semantic processing.
Bipolar disorder is a mental disease characterized by mood dysregulation and arises from
 manic, depressive or mixed episodes. During these episodes, formal thought disorders are
 observed, associated to emotional perturbation, behaviour troubles and some psychotic
 symptoms. During mania, the type of thought disorders observed are derailment, flight of
 ideas, with an increase in the amount of spontaneous speech and loss of goal. These
 observations of the patient's speech and language behaviour probably result from an
 underlying disturbance in semantic networks dealing with semantic associations. These
 networks have been studied extensively in schizophrenia but remain unknown in bipolar
 disorder. In this context, the aim of our study will be to have a better comprehension of
 formal thought disorders in bipolar disorder by cognitive exploration of semantic activation
 and inhibition.
Inclusion criteria

 BD patients :

 -  Men or women, right-handed

 -  diagnosis of type 1 bipolar disorder, according to the DSM-IV criteria

 -  aged from 18 to 65 years-old

 -  Native French speaker

 -  Affiliated to the social security

 Healthy Controls (HC):

 -  Men or women, right-handed

 -  aged from 18 to 65 years-old

 -  Native French speaker

 -  Affiliated to the social security

 Exclusion criteria

 BD patients :

 -  recent alcohol and/or drug abuse or dependence

 -  significant general medical illness, including neurological disorders or head trauma

 -  sensorial impairment (visual and/or hearing)

 -  Contraindication to the use of MRI

 HC:

 -  first-degree-relative history of bipolar disorder, schizophrenia or schizoaffective
 disorder according to DSM-IV

 -  recent alcohol and/or drug abuse or dependence

 -  significant general medical illness, including neurological disorders or head trauma

 -  sensorial impairment (visual and/or hearing)

 -  Contraindication to the use of MRI