THE BRIEF ASSESSMENT OF COGNITION IN AFFECTIVE DISORDERS - NOVEL TOOL IS THE NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT IN MOOD DISORDERS - POLISH TRANSLATION

Abstract

Mood disorders are chronic disorders accompanied by cognitive impairment. They impair the adaptability and daily functioning of patients, also during remission and justify implementing pharmacological treatment and psychotherapeutic interactions in these patients to improve their quality of life. The recommended method for assessing the charcter of cognitive deficits in affective disorders is the BAC-A (Brief Assessment of Cognition In Affective Disorders) test battery. This scale is a short, simple instrument of the "paper-and-pencil test" type, based on the BAC (Brief Assessment of Cognition) inventory and the Short Scale for Assessment of Cognitive Functions in Schizophrenia (BAC-S). The BAC-A consists of eight subtests measuring: verbal memory and learning, affective control, working memory, motor functions, verbal fluency, executive functions. This paper presents the Polish version of the BAC-A along with instructions about its use and interpretation. The BAC-A scale is a method designed to monitor the cognitive functioning of people with mood disorders, enabling early detection of existing deficits to improve the effectiveness of the diagnostic and treatment process.