Expert: Ivan Goldberg, M.D. - 1/28/2011

Question
Dear doctor,
What is the proportion of people with bipolar disorder that develop any kind of dementia? And in the general population?
Thank you!

Answer
Helmut . . .

Your question is a wonderful one to which i do not have a wonderful answer.

The percentage of people with dementia is very much a function of age and as people age an increasing percentage of them meet the criteria for dementia. See: http://archpsyc.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/55/9/809 for some info on this.

The bipolar-dementia connection is another matter. The research is not at all good. It is known that there are cognitive changes that accompany mania. What percentage of people with bipolar disorder end up meeting the criteria for dementia is unknown. Even if the percentage were higher than the incidence of dementias in the general population, that would lead to more additional questions than to answers.

One of the more interesting aspects of the possible bipolar-dementia connection is the possible role of lithium in preventing dementia in elderly individuals with bipolar disorder. See: http://bjp.rcpsych.org/cgi/content/full/190/4/359

Best regards . . .

Ivan
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