[Correlations between working memory effectiveness and depression levels after pharmacological therapy].

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychiatry
• Cognitive Psychology

Background:

• Depressive disorders are frequently associated with cognitive deficits, particularly in executive functions.
• Working memory, encompassing both spatial-visual and verbal domains, is often impaired in individuals with depression.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between spatio-visual and verbal working memory performance at the onset of treatment.
• To determine if initial cognitive function predicts symptom remission after 8-week SSRI pharmacotherapy in depression.

Main Methods:

• 141 subjects (86 with depressive disorders, 55 healthy controls) were assessed using the Trail Making Test (TMT) and Stroop Test.
• Cognitive performance was evaluated at the start of treatment (DD-I) and after 8 weeks of SSRI pharmacotherapy (DD-II).
• Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) was used to assess depression severity and remission.

Main Results:

• Healthy controls outperformed patients with depression on both tests at baseline.
• Patients showed significant improvements in verbal and visual working memory after 8 weeks of SSRI treatment.
• Poorer initial performance on the Stroop Test and TMT correlated with higher depression levels post-treatment.

Conclusions:

• Depressive disorders are linked to deficits in visual and verbal working memory.
• SSRI pharmacotherapy leads to improvements in these cognitive functions.
• Initial cognitive performance may be a predictor of treatment response and symptom remission in depression.