Behavioral Approach System (BAS) Sensitivity and Bipolar Spectrum Disorders: A Retrospective and Concurrent Behavioral High-Risk Design

• DOI: 10.1007/s11031-006-9003-3
• Publication Date: 2006-08-14T16:59:25Z
• Authors: Lauren B. Alloy; Lyn Y. Abramson; Patricia D. Walshaw; Alex Cogswell; Jeannette M. Smith; Amy M. Neeren; Megan E. Hughes; Brian M. Iacoviello; Rachel K. Gerstein; Jessica Keyser; Snezana Urosevic; Robin Nusslock
• Keywords: Depression; Major depressive episode; Behavioral Activation

In this article, we tested the vulnerability hypoth- esis of the behavioral approach system (BAS) hypersensitiv- ity model of bipolar disorders. We examined whether self- reported BAS sensitivity predicts lifetime bipolar spectrum diagnoses as well as symptoms and personality character- istics associated with bipolar disorder using a retrospective and concurrent behavioral high-risk design. Participants with high (HBAS; n = 28) or moderate (MBAS; n = 24) BAS sen- sitivity were selected and given a lifetime psychiatric diag- nostic interview and self-report measures of proneness to bipolar symptoms, current symptoms, and personality char- acteristics relevant to bipolarity. HBAS participants were significantly and substantially more likely to have a life- time bipolar spectrum disorder diagnosis than were MBAS participants, but did not differ from MBAS participants in their likelihood of a unipolar depression diagnosis. Also, the HBAS group exhibited higher impulsivity and prone- ness to hypomanic symptoms than the MBAS group, and BAS-reward responsiveness predicted hypomanic personal- ity characteristics. Finally, high behavioral inhibition system (BIS) sensitivity was associated with proneness to and cur- rent depressive symptoms.