This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Submit an eLetter
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when eLetters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Related articles in BJP
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via CrossRef
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Right arrow Citing Articles via Scopus
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by PORTER, R. J.
Right arrow Articles by YOUNG, A. H.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by PORTER, R. J.
Right arrow Articles by YOUNG, A. H.
The British Journal of Psychiatry (2003) 182: 214-220
© 2003 The Royal College of Psychiatrists

Neurocognitive impairment in drug-free patients with major depressive disorder

RICHARD J. PORTER, MRCPsych

Department of Psychological Medicine, Christchurch School of Medicine, New Zealand

PETER GALLAGHER, BSc, JILL M. THOMPSON, BSc and ALLAN H. YOUNG, MRCPsych

Department of Psychiatry, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, UK

Correspondence: Professor A. H. Young, Department of Psychiatry, Leazes Wing, Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle upon Tyne NEI 4LP, UK. Tel: +44 (0) 191 232 5131 (ext. 24258); fax: +44 (0) 191 227 5108; e-mail: a.h.young{at}ncl.ac.uk

Declaration of interest None.

Funding detailed in Acknowledgements.

Background Although neurocognitive impairment has been widely reported in major depressive disorder (MDD), confounding factors, such as the effects of psychotropic medication, have rarely been controlled for.

Aims To examine neurocognitive function in medication-free patients with MDD and healthy controls.

Method Forty-four patients meeting DSM—IV criteria for MDD, all psychotropic-medication-free for at least 6 weeks, and 44 demographically matched, healthy comparison subjects completed a comprehensive neurocognitive battery.

Results Patients with depression were impaired significantly in a range of cognitive domains, including attention and executive function and visuospatial learning and memory, compared with controls. Motor and psychomotor functions were intact. Severity of depression correlated with learning and memory performance, but not executive function.

Conclusions Pronounced neurocognitive impairment was found in this sample of young adult out-patients with MDD. This is not attributable to the confounding effects of psychotropic medication and could therefore provide an objective marker of brain dysfunction in depression.


Related articles in BJP:

Highlights of this issue
SUKHI SHERGILL
BJP 2003 182: 185-a11. [Full Text]  



This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 J. Neurosci.Home page
M. Desseilles, E. Balteau, V. Sterpenich, T. T. Dang-Vu, A. Darsaud, G. Vandewalle, G. Albouy, E. Salmon, F. Peters, C. Schmidt, et al.
Abnormal Neural Filtering of Irrelevant Visual Information in Depression
J. Neurosci., February 4, 2009; 29(5): 1395 - 1403.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 J. Neuropsychiatry Clin. Neurosi.Home page
J. Hart Jr., T. Kimbrell, P. Fauver, B. J. Cherry, J. Pitcock, L. Q. Booe, G. Tillman, and T. W. Freeman
Cognitive Dysfunctions Associated With PTSD: Evidence from World War II Prisoners of War
J Neuropsychiatry Clin Neurosci, August 1, 2008; 20(3): 309 - 316.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Arch Gen PsychiatryHome page
G. E. Tsai
Searching for Rational Anti N-methyl-D-aspartate Treatment for Depression
Arch Gen Psychiatry, September 1, 2007; 64(9): 1099 - 1100.
[Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Psychosom. Med.Home page
P. J. Smith, J. A. Blumenthal, M. A. Babyak, B. M. Hoffman, P. M. Doraiswamy, R. Waugh, A. Hinderliter, and A. Sherwood
Cerebrovascular Risk Factors, Vascular Disease, and Neuropsychological Outcomes in Adults With Major Depression
Psychosom Med, July 1, 2007; 69(6): 578 - 586.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 JAMAHome page
T. Holsinger, J. Deveau, M. Boustani, and J. W. Williams Jr
Does This Patient Have Dementia?
JAMA, June 6, 2007; 297(21): 2391 - 2404.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 J. Neuropsychiatry Clin. Neurosi.Home page
C. T. Gualtieri, L. G. Johnson, and K. B. Benedict
Neurocognition in Depression: Patients on and Off Medication Versus Healthy Comparison Subjects
J Neuropsychiatry Clin Neurosci, May 1, 2006; 18(2): 217 - 225.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Arch Gen PsychiatryHome page
D. C. Steffens, E. Otey, G. S. Alexopoulos, M. A. Butters, B. Cuthbert, M. Ganguli, Y. E. Geda, H. C. Hendrie, R. R. Krishnan, A. Kumar, et al.
Perspectives on Depression, Mild Cognitive Impairment, and Cognitive Decline
Arch Gen Psychiatry, February 1, 2006; 63(2): 130 - 138.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Am. J. PsychiatryHome page
J. T. O'Brien, A. Lloyd, I. McKeith, A. Gholkar, and N. Ferrier
A Longitudinal Study of Hippocampal Volume, Cortisol Levels, and Cognition in Older Depressed Subjects
Am J Psychiatry, November 1, 2004; 161(11): 2081 - 2090.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Arch NeurolHome page
K. K. Powlishta, M. Storandt, T. A. Mandernach, E. Hogan, E. A. Grant, and J. C. Morris
Absence of Effect of Depression on Cognitive Performance in Early-Stage Alzheimer Disease
Arch Neurol, August 1, 2004; 61(8): 1265 - 1268.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]