scholarly journals Is low cognitive functioning a predictor or consequence of major depressive disorder? A test in two longitudinal birth cohorts

2017 ◽  
pp. 1-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan D. Schaefer ◽  
Matthew A. Scult ◽  
Avshalom Caspi ◽  
Louise Arseneault ◽  
Daniel W. Belsky ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Major Depressive Disorder ◽  
Depressive Disorder ◽  
Cognitive Functioning ◽  
Cognitive Deficits ◽  
Past History ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Birth Cohorts ◽  
Major Depressive ◽  
Twin Design ◽  
Depressive Episodes

AbstractCognitive impairment has been identified as an important aspect of major depressive disorder (MDD). We tested two theories regarding the association between MDD and cognitive functioning using data from longitudinal cohort studies. One theory, thecognitive reserve hypothesis, suggests that higher cognitive ability in childhood decreases risk of later MDD. The second, thescarring hypothesis, instead suggests that MDD leads to persistent cognitive deficits following disorder onset. We tested both theories in the Dunedin Study, a population-representative cohort followed from birth to midlife and assessed repeatedly for both cognitive functioning and psychopathology. We also used data from the Environmental Risk Longitudinal Twin Study to test whether childhood cognitive functioning predicts future MDD risk independent of family-wide and genetic risk using a discordant twin design. Contrary to both hypotheses, we found that childhood cognitive functioning did not predict future risk of MDD, nor did study members with a past history of MDD show evidence of greater cognitive declineunlessMDD was accompanied by other comorbid psychiatric conditions. Our results thus suggest that low cognitive functioning is related to comorbidity, but is neither an antecedent nor an enduring consequence of MDD. Future research may benefit from considering cognitive deficits that occur during depressive episodes from a transdiagnostic perspective.

Cognitive characteristics of unipolar (major depressive disorder) and bipolar depression

2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (S1) ◽  
pp. S374-S374 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Suciu ◽  
R. Paunescu ◽  
I. Miclutia
Keyword(s):  
Bipolar Disorder ◽  
Major Depressive Disorder ◽  
Depressive Disorder ◽  
Cognitive Deficits ◽  
Bipolar Depression ◽  
Cognitive Domain ◽  
Global Functioning ◽  
Major Depressive ◽  
Cognitive Domains ◽  
Depressive Episodes

IntroductionImpairment in cognitive performance is an important characteristic in many psychiatric illnesses, such as Bipolar Disorder and Major Depressive Disorder. Initially, cognitive dysfunctions were considered to be present only in acute depressive episodes and to improve after symptoms recovered. Reports have described persistent cognitive deficits even after significant improvement of depressive symptoms.Aims/ObjectivesWe wanted to understand the dimension of cognitive impairment in unipolar and bipolar depression and also to underline the differences between cognitive profiles of patients diagnosed within the two mentioned disorders.MethodThis review examined recent literature about unipolar and bipolar depression.ResultsBoth depressed patients presented cognitive deficits in several cognitive domains. Different aspects of attention were altered in both patients but impairment in shifting attention appeared specific to unipolar disorder while impaired sustained attention was particular for bipolar disorder. Both types of patients showed memory deficits that were associated with poor global functioning. Two recent studies described that bipolar depressed subjects were more impaired across all cognitive domains than unipolar depressed subjects on tests assessing verbal memory, verbal fluency, attention and executive functions. The most consistently deficits were displayed on measures of executive functioning – such as tasks requiring problem solving, planning, decision making – suggesting that this cognitive domain is a trait-marker for depression.ConclusionsCognitive deficits are present in both disorders during a depressive episode but they display slightly different patterns of impairment.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Memory, attention and language deficits in major depressive disorder

2017 ◽  
Vol 41 (S1) ◽  
pp. S543-S543
Author(s):  
B. Suciu ◽  
R. Paunescu ◽  
I. Miclutia
Keyword(s):  
Major Depressive Disorder ◽  
Depressive Disorder ◽  
Cognitive Deficits ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Verbal Learning ◽  
Median Score ◽  
Semantic Fluency ◽  
Major Depressive ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Depressive Episodes

ObjectivesFor a long time, cognitive deficits were considered as part of depressive episodes and were expected to improve as other affective symptoms diminished with treatment. Because of this, cognitive impairment was rarely assessed for Major depressive disorder, but in the present time this has changed.MethodsThe study included 35 patients (age between 18 and 70) diagnosed with recurrent major depressive disorder (according to ICD-10 and DSM-V) which were evaluated during an acute depressive episode. The severity of depression was quantified clinically and with the help of Hamilton Depression Rating Scale -17 items- whereas cognitive functions were evaluated with standard cognitive tests.ResultsOut of the 35 patients included, 25 were female patients, the rest of 10 being represented by male participants. A median score of 81,5 seconds on the Trail Making Test part A showed attention focusing deficits when compared with standard scores. For semantic fluency, ten words represented the mean score; whereas for phonemic fluency the mean score was lower (seven words). A median score of 5 words resulted from the assessment of the verbal learning and memory, these are considered to be associated with memorization and retention of a list of words given.ConclusionsThese results sustain what the majority of studies revealed, that cognitive deficits are present in all cognitive domains, mostly in attention, verbal fluency and memory.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

scholarly journals Cognition and Its Association with Psychosocial and Occupational Functioning during Treatment with Escitalopram in Patients with Major Depressive Disorder: A CAN-BIND-1 Report: La Cognition Et Son Association Avec Le Fonctionnement Psychosocial Et Professionnel Durant Le Traitement Par Escitalopram Chez Des Patients Souffrant De Trouble Dépressif Majeur: Une Étude Can-Bind-1

2020 ◽  
pp. 070674372097482
Author(s):  
Shane J. McInerney ◽  
Trisha Chakrabarty ◽  
Malgorzata Maciukiewicz ◽  
Benicio N. Frey ◽  
Glenda M. MacQueen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Major Depressive Disorder ◽  
Depressive Disorder ◽  
Cognitive Functioning ◽  
Symptom Severity ◽  
Cognitive Change ◽  
Cognitive Domain ◽  
Depression Symptom ◽  
Major Depressive ◽  
Occupational Functioning ◽  
The Impact

Objectives: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is associated with impairments in both cognition and functioning. However, whether cognitive deficits significantly contribute to impaired psychosocial and occupational functioning, independent of other depressive symptoms, is not well established. We examined the relationship between cognitive performance and functioning in depressed patients before and after antidepressant treatment using secondary data from the first Canadian Biomarker Integration Network in Depression-1 study. Methods: Cognition was assessed at baseline in unmedicated, depressed participants with MDD ( n = 207) using the Central Nervous System Vital Signs computerized battery, psychosocial functioning with the Sheehan Disability Scale (SDS), and occupational functioning with the Lam Employment Absence and Productivity Scale (LEAPS). Cognition ( n = 181), SDS ( n = 175), and LEAPS ( n = 118) were reassessed after participants received 8 weeks of open-label escitalopram monotherapy. A series of linear regressions were conducted to determine (1) whether cognitive functioning was associated with psychosocial and occupational functioning prior to treatment, after adjusting for overall depressive symptom severity and (2) whether changes in cognitive functioning after an 8-week treatment phase were associated with changes in psychosocial and occupational functioning, after adjusting for changes in overall symptom severity. Results: Baseline global cognitive functioning, after adjusting for depression symptom severity and demographic variables, was associated with the SDS work/study subscale (β = −0.17; P = 0.03) and LEAPS productivity subscale (β = −0.17; P = 0.05), but not SDS total (β = 0.19; P = 0.12) or LEAPS total (β = 0.41; P = 0.17) scores. Although LEAPS and SDS scores showed significant improvements after 8 weeks of treatment ( P < 0.001), there were no significant associations between changes in cognitive domain scores and functional improvements. Conclusion: Cognition was associated with occupational functioning at baseline, but changes in cognition were not associated with psychosocial or occupational functional improvements following escitalopram treatment. We recommend the use of more comprehensive functional assessments to determine the impact of cognitive change on functional outcomes in future research.

scholarly journals Social cognition and major depressive disorder: impact on psychosocial function and therapeutic opportunities

BJPsych Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (S1) ◽  
pp. S300-S300
Author(s):  
Michael Weightman ◽  
Bernhard Baune
Keyword(s):  
Major Depressive Disorder ◽  
Depressive Disorder ◽  
Cognitive Deficits ◽  
Psychosocial Functioning ◽  
Social Cognitive ◽  
Major Depressive ◽  
Depressed Patients ◽  
The Social ◽  
Social Cognitive Deficits ◽  
The Impact

AimsThis poster aims to examine the impact of social cognitive deficits on psychosocial functioning in depressed patients, as well as summarise the utility of various evidence-based therapeutic interventions employed to target these deficits. The stated hypotheses were twofold: (1) that social cognitive impairment in major depressive disorder will correlate with poorer psychosocial functioning; and (2) that these deficits will respond to existing anti-depressant therapies.BackgroundSocial cognition is an important adaptive trait that incorporates the identification, perception and interpretation of socially relevant information from the external world. It is frequently affected in major depressive disorder such that depressed patienMethodA review of the existing literature was performed in order to test the stated hypotheses. Pertinent sources were identified via the MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, PubMed, Scopus and Google Scholar databases. A total of 107 studies met inclusion criteria for review.ResultImpaired social cognitive performance in depressed patients correlated with poorer psychosocial functioning across the key domains of general cognitive functioning and quality of life. Many current anti-depressant therapies were found to have a normalising effect on the social cognitive abilities of depressed subjects, both at a neural and functional level. Anti-depressant medications, in particular citalopram and reboxetine, appeared to correct facial affect recognition deficits, while a psychotherapeutic approach demonstrated improvements in theory of mind and negative interpretive bias. Data relating to other common treatments, such as electroconvulsive therapy, are limited.ConclusionThe impact and treatment of social cognitive deficits in major depressive disorder is an important emerging field. The social cognitive deficits evident in depressed patients are sometimes subtle, but afford a significant functional impact. Additionally, it appears these impairments are at least partially reversible using anti-depressants or psychotherapy.

scholarly journals Drug Response-Related DNA Methylation Changes in Schizophrenia, Bipolar Disorder, and Major Depressive Disorder

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiaqi Zhou ◽  
Miao Li ◽  
Xueying Wang ◽  
Yuwen He ◽  
Yan Xia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dna Methylation ◽  
Bipolar Disorder ◽  
Major Depressive Disorder ◽  
Depressive Disorder ◽  
Clinical Improvement ◽  
Drug Response ◽  
Epigenetic Modification ◽  
Antidepressant Treatment ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Major Depressive

Pharmacotherapy is the most common treatment for schizophrenia (SCZ), bipolar disorder (BD), and major depressive disorder (MDD). Pharmacogenetic studies have achieved results with limited clinical utility. DNA methylation (DNAm), an epigenetic modification, has been proposed to be involved in both the pathology and drug treatment of these disorders. Emerging data indicates that DNAm could be used as a predictor of drug response for psychiatric disorders. In this study, we performed a systematic review to evaluate the reproducibility of published changes of drug response-related DNAm in SCZ, BD and MDD. A total of 37 publications were included. Since the studies involved patients of different treatment stages, we partitioned them into three groups based on their primary focuses: (1) medication-induced DNAm changes (n = 8); (2) the relationship between DNAm and clinical improvement (n = 24); and (3) comparison of DNAm status across different medications (n = 14). We found that only BDNF was consistent with the DNAm changes detected in four independent studies for MDD. It was positively correlated with clinical improvement in MDD. To develop better predictive DNAm factors for drug response, we also discussed future research strategies, including experimental, analytical procedures and statistical criteria. Our review shows promising possibilities for using BDNF DNAm as a predictor of antidepressant treatment response for MDD, while more pharmacoepigenetic studies are needed for treatments of various diseases. Future research should take advantage of a system-wide analysis with a strict and standard analytical procedure.

scholarly journals Psychotherapy for subclinical depression: meta-analysis

2014 ◽  
Vol 205 (4) ◽  
pp. 268-274 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pim Cuijpers ◽  
Sander L. Koole ◽  
Annemiek van Dijke ◽  
Miquel Roca ◽  
Juan Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Major Depressive Disorder ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Major Depression ◽  
Depressive Disorder ◽  
Psychological Treatment ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Major Depressive ◽  
Major Depressive Episodes ◽  
Depressive Episodes ◽  
Subclinical Depression

BackgroundThere is controversy about whether psychotherapies are effective in the treatment of subclinical depression, defined by clinically relevant depressive symptoms in the absence of a major depressive disorder.AimsTo examine whether psychotherapies are effective in reducing depressive symptoms, reduce the risk of developing major depressive disorder and have comparable effects to psychological treatment of major depression.MethodWe conducted a meta-analysis of 18 studies comparing a psychological treatment of subclinical depression with a control group.ResultsThe target groups, therapies and characteristics of the included studies differed considerably from each other, and the quality of many studies was not optimal. Psychotherapies did have a small to moderate effect on depressive symptoms against care as usual at the post-test assessment (g = 0.35, 95% CI 0.23–0.47; NNT = 5, 95% CI 4–8) and significantly reduced the incidence of major depressive episodes at 6 months (RR = 0.61) and possibly at 12 months (RR = 0.74). The effects were significantly smaller than those of psychotherapy for major depressive disorder and could be accounted for by non-specific effects of treatment.ConclusionsPsychotherapy may be effective in the treatment of subclinical depression and reduce the incidence of major depression, but more high-quality research is needed.

P01-331-Family functioning of adolescents with a major depressive disorder – a comparative study

2011 ◽  
Vol 26 (S2) ◽  
pp. 333-333
Author(s):  
M.L. Perereira ◽  
D.L. Nunes Peçanha ◽  
I.A. Santos Bordin
Keyword(s):  
Major Depressive Disorder ◽  
Depressive Disorder ◽  
Family Functioning ◽  
Psychiatric Disorders ◽  
Family Income ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Occupational Activity ◽  
Major Depressive ◽  
The Family ◽  
Depressive Episodes

IntroductionPsychiatric disorders occur in a complex context of human relations in its social and psychological aspects. Family functioning is closely related to physical and psychological well-being of family members and its impairment affects the family as a whole.ObjectivesTo evaluate family functioning in two groups of adolescents (13–18 years): cases (with major depressive disorder) and controls (with no DSM-IV psychiatric disorders based on the Brazilian version of the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School Age Children-Present and Lifetime/K-SADS-PL).MethodFamilies of cases (N = 9) and controls (N = 9) were matched by adolescent's age, gender and education, number and age of siblings, parental marital status and occupational activity, and family income. An experienced systemic family therapist applied the Structured Family Interview to each family. Nine dimensions of family functioning were evaluated: communication, rules, roles, leadership, conflict, aggressiveness, affect, individuation and integration. Session transcripts were independently evaluated by two other systemic family therapists blind to the family case-control category.ResultsRaters scored all interview items using a standardized coding system (overall agreement = 83.5%). Cases exhibited lower mean scores in seven family dimensions, specially affect (p = 0.0078). Differences were not found regarding rules and leadership.ConclusionDifficulty in expressing affect in parent-child relationships was the main characteristic of families with a depressive adolescent. Improvement of family functioning can contribute to minimize the negative influence of psychosocial and family factors on the reoccurrence, and severity of depressive episodes among depressed adolescents.

The association of oxytocin with major depressive disorder: role of confounding effects of antidepressants

2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shiyi Xie ◽  
Yan Hu ◽  
Li Fang ◽  
Shijia Chen ◽  
Benson O.A. Botchway ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Major Depressive Disorder ◽  
Depressive Disorder ◽  
Receptor Gene ◽  
Predictive Ability ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Targeted Prevention ◽  
Major Depressive ◽  
Antidepressant Effects ◽  
Psychiatric Syndrome

Abstract Major depressive disorder is a genetic susceptible disease, and a psychiatric syndrome with a high rate of incidence and recurrence. Because of its complexity concerning etiology and pathogenesis, the cure rate of first-line antidepressants is low. In recent years, accumulative evidences revealed that oxytocin act as a physiological or pathological participant in a variety of complex neuropsychological activities, including major depressive disorder. Six electronic databases (Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, CNKI, and Wanfang) were employed for researching relevant publications. At last, 226 articles were extracted. The current review addresses the correlation of the oxytocin system and major depressive disorder. Besides, we summarize the mechanisms by which the oxytocin system exerts potential antidepressant effects, including regulating neuronal activity, influencing neuroplasticity and regeneration, altering neurotransmitter release, down regulating hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis, anti-inflammatory, antioxidation, and genetic effects. Increasing evidence shows that oxytocin and its receptor gene may play a potential role in major depressive disorder. Future research should focus on the predictive ability of the oxytocin system as a biomarker, as well as its role in targeted prevention and early intervention of major depressive disorder.

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