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

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Abstract

In this article, we tested the vulnerability hypothesis of the behavioral approach system (BAS) hypersensitivity model of bipolar disorders. We examined whether self-reported BAS sensitivity predicts lifetime bipolar spectrum diagnoses as well as symptoms and personality characteristics 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 sensitivity were selected and given a lifetime psychiatric diagnostic interview and self-report measures of proneness to bipolar symptoms, current symptoms, and personality characteristics relevant to bipolarity. HBAS participants were significantly and substantially more likely to have a lifetime 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 proneness to hypomanic symptoms than the MBAS group, and BAS-reward responsiveness predicted hypomanic personality characteristics. Finally, high behavioral inhibition system (BIS) sensitivity was associated with proneness to and current depressive symptoms.

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Notes

  1. BiNOS was assigned to participants who exhibited recurrent hypomanic episodes without diagnosable depressive episodes, who exhibited a cyclothymic pattern but with hypomanic and depressive periods that did not meet minimum duration criteria for hypomanic and depressive episodes, or who showed hypomanic and depressive periods that were too infrequent to qualify for a Cyclothymia diagnosis.

  2. For Bipolar II disorder, it was not possible to obtain Wald statistics and odds ratios because the logistic regression analysis could not be run, given that there were 0 participants in the MBAS group who had this diagnosis. In this case, we conducted χ 2 analyses instead (and these are presented in Table 2 instead of the Wald and Exp(B) statistics).

  3. When forming the BIS × BAS and SP × BAS interactions, a BAS composite score (BAS-D + BAS-FS + SR) was used as the measure of BAS, rather than BAS group status (HBAS, MBAS).

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Acknowledgment

The research reported in this article was supported by National Institute of Mental Health Grant MH 52617 to Lauren B. Alloy.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Temple University, 1701 N. 13th Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19122, USA

    Lauren B. Alloy, Patricia D. Walshaw, Alex Cogswell, Jeannette M. Smith, Amy M. Neeren, Megan E. Hughes, Brian M. Iacoviello, Rachel K. Gerstein & Jessica Keyser

  2. University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA

    Lyn Y. Abramson, Snezana Urosevic & Robin Nusslock

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  1. Lauren B. Alloy
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  2. Lyn Y. Abramson
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  3. Patricia D. Walshaw
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  11. Snezana Urosevic
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Correspondence to Lauren B. Alloy.

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Alloy, L.B., Abramson, L.Y., Walshaw, P.D. et al. Behavioral Approach System (BAS) Sensitivity and Bipolar Spectrum Disorders: A Retrospective and Concurrent Behavioral High-Risk Design. Motiv Emot 30, 143–155 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11031-006-9003-3

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