Patient-evaluated cognitive function measured with smartphones and the association with objective cognitive function, perceived stress, quality of life and function capacity in patients with bipolar disorder

Background Cognitive impairments in patients with bipolar disorder (BD) have been associated with reduced functioning. Aims: To investigate the association between (1) patient-evaluated cognitive function measured daily using smartphones and stress, quality of life and functioning, respectively, and (2) patient-evaluated cognitive function and objectively measured cognitive function with neuropsychological tests. Methods Data from two randomized controlled trials were combined. Patients with BD (N = 117) and healthy controls (HC) (N = 40) evaluated their cognitive function daily for six to nine months using a smartphone. Patients completed the objective cognition screening tool, the Screen for Cognitive Impairment in Psychiatry and were rated with the Functional Assessment Short Test. Raters were blinded to smartphone data. Participants completed the Perceived Stress Scale and the WHO Quality of Life questionnaires. Data was collected at multiple time points per participant. p-values below 0.0023 were considered statistically significant. Results Patient-evaluated cognitive function was statistically significant associated with perceived stress, quality of life and functioning, respectively (all p-values < 0.0001). There was no association between patient-evaluated cognitive function and objectively measured cognitive function ( B:0.0009, 95% CI 0.0017; 0.016, p = 0.015 ). Patients exhibited cognitive impairments in subjectively evaluated cognitive function in comparison with HC despite being in full or partly remission ( B: − 0.36, 95% CI − 0.039; − 0.032, p < 0.0001 ). Conclusion The present association between patient-evaluated cognitive function on smartphones and perceived stress, quality of life and functional capacity suggests that smartphones can provide a valid tool to assess disability in remitted BD. Smartphone-based ratings of cognition could not provide insights into objective cognitive function.