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Related Experiment Videos

Prefrontal cortical dysfunction in depression determined by Wisconsin Card Sorting Test performance.

E P Merriam1, M E Thase, G L Haas

  • 1Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, PA, USA.

The American Journal of Psychiatry
|May 18, 1999
PubMed
Summary

Major depression is linked to prefrontal cortical dysfunction, as shown by deficits in neuropsychological testing. These findings in depressed patients were less severe than in schizophrenia patients.

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Psychiatry
  • Cognitive Psychology

Background:

  • Neuroimaging studies indicate reduced prefrontal cortical blood flow and metabolism in depression.
  • The neurobehavioral significance of these neuroimaging findings remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the neurobehavioral significance of prefrontal cortical dysfunction in major depression.
  • To compare prefrontal cortical function in unmedicated depressed patients, never-medicated schizophrenia patients, and healthy controls.

Main Methods:

  • Administered the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), a measure of prefrontal function.
  • Tested 79 unmedicated patients with major depression (unmedicated for ≥28 days).
  • Tested 47 never-medicated schizophrenia patients and 61 healthy comparison subjects.

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Main Results:

  • Depressed patients showed significant WCST deficits compared to healthy individuals.
  • WCST deficits in depression correlated with depression severity.
  • Schizophrenia patients exhibited more severe WCST deficits than depressed patients.

Conclusions:

  • Neuropsychological evidence supports significant prefrontal cortical dysfunction in depression.
  • WCST performance can differentiate between depression and schizophrenia, reflecting distinct patterns of prefrontal impairment.