There is an increasing evidence that several cognitive areas as executive functioning, verbal memory and visual-spatial abilities, are impaired during the acute phase of Bipolar Disorder (BD) and persist even in the euthymic periods.

The aim of the study was to characterize cognitive profile in subjects affected by BD-I and BD-II and to compare them to healthy controls (HC), in order to analyse the possible influence of depressive or euthymic phase on neuropsychological performances.

We recruited 35 outpatients with BD (DSM-IV TR), 20 BD-I and 15 BD-II, in both euthymic or depressive phase clinically assessed. All subjects affected by any other DSM-IV TR axis I disorder were excluded. Results were compared to HC group composed by 11 subjects without neurological disorders, alcohol or drug abuse and any lifetime psychiatric treatment. Each group underwent a comprehensive neuropsychological assessment.

Our results indicated that case group (BD-I/II) showed significantly lower scores at the Raven Test (p < 0.001) and executive tests (p = 0.007) compared to HC. No difference were observed between depressed and euthymic patients. Compared to healthy group euthymic and depressed patients showed significantly lower scores at Raven Test.

In our sample cognitive impairment is present, as indicated in literature, in each phase of Bipolar Disorder. Logical reasoning seems to be the assessment tool more influenced by the clinical phase of the pathology. The analyses of the impact of depressive/euthymic phase did not show any difference between depressed and euthymic subgroups.