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

In this article, we tested the vulnerability hypothesis of the behavioral approach system (BAS) hypersensitivity model of bipolar disorders. We examined whether selfreported 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. L. B. Alloy ( ) · P. D. Walshaw · A. Cogswell · J. M. Smith · A. M. Neeren · M. E. Hughes · B. M. Iacoviello · R. K. Gerstein · J. Keyser Department of Psychology, Temple University, 1701 N. 13th Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19122 e-mail: [email protected] L. Y. Abramson · S. Urosevic · R. Nusslock University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin