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Cognition, structural brain changes and complicated grief. A population-based study
H C Saavedra Pérez1, M A Ikram1, N Direk1
1Department of Epidemiology,Erasmus Medical Center,Rotterdam,The Netherlands.
Psychological Medicine
|November 4, 2014
Summary
Complicated grief is linked to poorer cognitive function and smaller brain volumes. These findings suggest a potential neurological basis for complicated grief in the general population.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
- Cognitive Psychology
Background:
- Psychosocial factors are known risks for complicated grief.
- The link between complicated grief and cognitive/biological factors remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between complicated grief and cognitive performance.
- To examine the relationship between complicated grief and structural brain volumes.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional analysis of 5501 non-demented individuals from the Rotterdam Study.
- Assessment of grief severity using the Inventory of Complicated Grief.
- Cognitive testing and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for brain volume and white matter lesions.
Main Results:
- Complicated grief was associated with lower scores on the Letter-Digit Substitution Test and Word Fluency Task.
- Individuals with complicated grief exhibited smaller total brain volumes compared to those without grief.
- No significant associations were found for normal grief.
Conclusions:
- Complicated grief is associated with impaired cognitive performance and reduced total brain volume.
- These findings suggest a potential neurological correlate for complicated grief.
- Normal grief did not show similar cognitive or structural brain associations.
Keywords:
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