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Selective impairment in effortful information processing in major depression.

Asa Hammar1, Anders Lund, Kenneth Hugdahl

  • 1Department of Biological and Medical Psychology, Division of Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Bergen, Norway. Aasa.hammar@psybp.uib.no

Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society : JINS
|November 25, 2003
PubMed
Summary

Depressed patients show slower visual search times when complex attention is required, indicating impaired effortful information processing. Automatic processing remains unaffected in major depression.

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Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Neuroscience
  • Clinical Psychology

Background:

  • Major depression is associated with cognitive deficits.
  • Understanding information processing in depression is crucial for treatment.
  • Previous research suggests alterations in attention and executive functions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate automatic and effortful information processing in patients with major depression.
  • To examine dysfunctional effortful processing using a visual search paradigm.
  • To compare cognitive performance between depressed patients and healthy controls.

Main Methods:

  • A visual search paradigm was employed.
  • Twenty-one patients with major depression (DSM-IV criteria, moderate severity) participated.

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  • A healthy control group, matched for age, gender, and education, was included.
  • Trials varied in distractor complexity (one vs. two types).

    • Main Results:

    • Depressed patients performed comparably to controls in simple visual search tasks with one distractor.
    • When complex attentive search strategies were needed (effortful processing), depressed patients exhibited longer visual search times.
    • Performance differences were observed specifically in tasks requiring effortful information processing.

    Conclusions:

    • Depressed patients demonstrate impaired effortful information processing.
    • Automatic information processing appears to be intact in major depression.
    • Findings suggest a specific deficit in attentional control and effortful cognition in depression.