Cognitive predictors of response to treatment for depression in multiple sclerosis

Cognitive impairment, particularly in the domain of executive functioning, has been demonstrated to predict poorer antidepressant medication treatment response. In this investigation, neuropsychological functioning was evaluated as a predictor of depression treatment response among 59 patients with multiple sclerosis. Performance on a Stroop task accounted for 28.7% of the variance in poorer pharmacologic antidepressant treatment response, as compared to less than 1% of the variance in two psychotherapy conditions. These results provide preliminary evidence to suggest that performance on neuropsychological measures may predict antidepressant treatment response in multiple sclerosis.