Impact of psychotherapy and antidepressive treatment on cognitive functions in patients treated for depression

Depressive disorders are often treated with the use of antidepressants and with psychotherapy at the same time. According to the literature these two types of treatment may exert a certain influence on brain functioning. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of different forms of therapeutic methods on the improvement of cognitive functions.

60 patients participated in the study. They were divided into 3 groups treated with pharmacotherapy, psychotherapy or both, respectively. The neuropsychological changes observed as a results of the application of these methods was assessed with the Vienna Test System (VTS). The patients recruited to the study were treated at the psychotherapeutic subdivision of a psychiatric ward. Inclusion in the study was restricted to individuals with a diagnosis of recurrent depressive disorder.

The improvement in psychological tests measuring short-term memory and attention was present on average after 8 weeks of treatment and was most prominent in patients treated with both forms of therapy.

The interpretation of the achieved results must be cautious because of the relatively small groups participating in the study. Further research is necessary to analyze the impact of different therapeutic forms used in the treatment of depression on cognitive processes.