Misremembrance of things past: Depression is associated with difficulties in the recollection of both specific and categoric autobiographical memories

Impaired retrieval of specific, autobiographical memories of personally experienced events is a key characteristic of major depressive disorder (MDD). However, there are findings in subclinical samples which suggest that the reduced specificity phenomenon may be a reflection of a broader impairment in the deliberate retrieval of all autobiographical memory types. This experiment explored this possibility by requiring individuals with MDD (N=68) to complete a cued-recall task which required retrieval of specific memories to a block of cues, retrieval of categoric, general memories to a block of cues, and to alternate between retrieval of specific and general memories for a block of cues. Results demonstrated that relative to never-depressed controls, individuals with MDD experience reduced recall of both specific, single incident memories (d=0.48) and general memories (d=1.00), along with reduced flexibility in alternating between specific and general memories (d=0.90), a skill vital to restraining negative beliefs. Findings indicate that the flexibility of autobiographical retrieval is important for mental health and support further development of autobiographical memory-based interventions which target a range of retrieval deficits.

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Misremembrance of Things Past: Depression Is Associated With Difficulties in the Recollection of Both Specific and Categoric Autobiographical Memories

Clinical Psychological Science ◽

10.1177/2167702619826967 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 7 (4) ◽

pp. 693-700 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Caitlin Hitchcock ◽

Evangeline Rodrigues ◽

Catrin Rees ◽

Siobhan Gormley ◽

Barbara Dritschel ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Major Depressive Disorder ◽

Depressive Disorder ◽

Autobiographical Memory ◽

Recall Task ◽

Cued Recall ◽

Autobiographical Memories ◽

Major Depressive ◽

Further Development

Impaired retrieval of specific, autobiographical memories of personally experienced events is characteristic of major depressive disorder (MDD). However, findings in subclinical samples suggest that the reduced specificity phenomenon may reflect a broader impairment in the deliberate retrieval of all autobiographical memory types. This experiment ( N = 68) explored this possibility by requiring individuals with and without MDD to complete a cued-recall task that required retrieval of specific, single-incident memories to a block of cues; retrieval of categoric, general memories to a block of cues; and to alternate between retrieval of specific and general memories for a block of cues. Results demonstrated that relative to never-depressed controls, individuals with MDD experience reduced recall of both specific ( d = 0.48) and general memories ( d = 1.00) along with reduced flexibility in alternating between specific and general memories ( d = 0.90). Findings support further development of autobiographical memory–based interventions that target a range of retrieval deficits rather than specificity alone.

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Effects of Induced Rumination and Distraction on Mood and Overgeneral Autobiographical Memory in Adolescent Major Depressive Disorder and Controls

Yearbook of Psychiatry and Applied Mental Health ◽

10.1016/s0084-3970(08)70039-2 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 2006 ◽

pp. 37-38

Author(s):

P.S. Jensen

Keyword(s):

Major Depressive Disorder ◽

Depressive Disorder ◽

Autobiographical Memory ◽

Major Depressive ◽

Overgeneral Autobiographical Memory

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A randomized, controlled proof-of-concept trial evaluating durable effects of Memory Flexibility Training (MemFlex) on autobiographical memory distortions and on relapse of recurrent Major Depressive Disorder over 12 months

Behaviour Research and Therapy ◽

10.1016/j.brat.2021.103835 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 103835

Author(s):

Caitlin Hitchcock ◽

Alicia J. Smith ◽

Rachel Elliott ◽

Cliodhna O’Leary ◽

Siobhan Gormley ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Major Depressive Disorder ◽

Depressive Disorder ◽

Autobiographical Memory ◽

Proof Of Concept ◽

Major Depressive ◽

Randomized Controlled ◽

Memory Distortions ◽

Memory Flexibility ◽

Flexibility Training ◽

Recurrent Major Depressive Disorder

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Use of cognitive techniques is associated with change in positive compensatory skills in the treatment of major depressive disorder in a community mental health setting

Psychotherapy Research ◽

10.1080/10503307.2020.1866785 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-12

Author(s):

Paul Crits-Christoph ◽

Catherine King ◽

Elena Goldstein ◽

Mary Beth Connolly Gibbons

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Major Depressive Disorder ◽

Community Mental Health ◽

Depressive Disorder ◽

Mental Health Setting ◽

Major Depressive ◽

Cognitive Techniques ◽

Compensatory Skills

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A machine learning algorithm to differentiate bipolar disorder from major depressive disorder using an online mental health questionnaire and blood biomarker data

Translational Psychiatry ◽

10.1038/s41398-020-01181-x ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Jakub Tomasik ◽

Sung Yeon Sarah Han ◽

Giles Barton-Owen ◽

Dan-Mircea Mirea ◽

Nayra A. Martin-Key ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Bipolar Disorder ◽

Major Depressive Disorder ◽

Depressive Disorder ◽

Diagnostic Algorithm ◽

Health Questionnaire ◽

Major Depressive ◽

Blood Biomarker ◽

Mental Health Questionnaire ◽

Biomarker Data

AbstractThe vast personal and economic burden of mood disorders is largely caused by their under- and misdiagnosis, which is associated with ineffective treatment and worsening of outcomes. Here, we aimed to develop a diagnostic algorithm, based on an online questionnaire and blood biomarker data, to reduce the misdiagnosis of bipolar disorder (BD) as major depressive disorder (MDD). Individuals with depressive symptoms (Patient Health Questionnaire-9 score ≥5) aged 18–45 years were recruited online. After completing a purpose-built online mental health questionnaire, eligible participants provided dried blood spot samples for biomarker analysis and underwent the World Health Organization World Mental Health Composite International Diagnostic Interview via telephone, to establish their mental health diagnosis. Extreme Gradient Boosting and nested cross-validation were used to train and validate diagnostic models differentiating BD from MDD in participants who self-reported a current MDD diagnosis. Mean test area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) for separating participants with BD diagnosed as MDD (N = 126) from those with correct MDD diagnosis (N = 187) was 0.92 (95% CI: 0.86–0.97). Core predictors included elevated mood, grandiosity, talkativeness, recklessness and risky behaviour. Additional validation in participants with no previous mood disorder diagnosis showed AUROCs of 0.89 (0.86–0.91) and 0.90 (0.87–0.91) for separating newly diagnosed BD (N = 98) from MDD (N = 112) and subclinical low mood (N = 120), respectively. Validation in participants with a previous diagnosis of BD (N = 45) demonstrated sensitivity of 0.86 (0.57–0.96). The diagnostic algorithm accurately identified patients with BD in various clinical scenarios, and could help expedite accurate clinical diagnosis and treatment of BD.

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Exploring the Role and Potential of Probiotics in the Field of Mental Health: Major Depressive Disorder

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu13051728 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (5) ◽

pp. 1728

Author(s):

Dinyadarshini Johnson ◽

Sivakumar Thurairajasingam ◽

Vengadesh Letchumanan ◽

Kok-Gan Chan ◽

Learn-Han Lee

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Major Depressive Disorder ◽

Depressive Disorder ◽

Epigenetic Mechanisms ◽

Preclinical Models ◽

Major Depressive ◽

Health Domains ◽

Probiotic Intervention

The field of probiotic has been exponentially expanding over the recent decades with a more therapeutic-centered research. Probiotics mediated microbiota modulation within the microbiota–gut–brain axis (MGBA) have been proven to be beneficial in various health domains through pre-clinical and clinical studies. In the context of mental health, although probiotic research is still in its infancy stage, the promising role and potential of probiotics in various mental disorders demonstrated via in-vivo and in-vitro studies have laid a strong foundation for translating preclinical models to humans. The exploration of the therapeutic role and potential of probiotics in major depressive disorder (MDD) is an extremely noteworthy field of research. The possible etio-pathological mechanisms of depression involving inflammation, neurotransmitters, the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis and epigenetic mechanisms potentially benefit from probiotic intervention. Probiotics, both as an adjunct to antidepressants or a stand-alone intervention, have a beneficial role and potential in mitigating anti-depressive effects, and confers some advantages compared to conventional treatments of depression using anti-depressants.

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Intravenous ketamine for rapid treatment of major depressive disorder in the general medical hospital

BMJ Case Reports ◽

10.1136/bcr-2020-239587 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 (10) ◽

pp. e239587

Author(s):

Siobhan Helen Gee ◽

Camille Wratten ◽

Ruth Cairns ◽

Alastair Santhouse ◽

David Taylor

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Major Depressive Disorder ◽

Depressive Disorder ◽

Oral Treatment ◽

Medical Problem ◽

Major Depressive ◽

Medical Settings ◽

Mental Health Settings ◽

Intravenous Ketamine ◽

Rapid Treatment

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is common in general medical settings, and can usually be treated with conventional oral antidepressants. For some patients, however, oral treatment is refused or not possible, and the untreated symptoms can have a significant impact on the treatment of the acute medical problem. Use of intravenous ketamine has been widely reported in mental health settings for the treatment of MDD. We describe use of intravenous ketamine in a general medical hospital for the treatment of MDD in an 83-year-old male patient who refused food, fluid and medical investigations following a stroke.

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