Cognitive functioning in biological subtypes of depression.
This study describes a method for investigating clinical correlates of biological subtypes of depression, using cognitive functioning as the principal behavioral variable. Dexamethasone Suppression Test (DST) escapers were compared to DST suppressors and healthy controls on a battery of learning and memory procedures designed to investigate cognitive functioning in detail. DST suppressors, but not escapers, were cognitively impaired on our tasks. The performance of controls and DST escapers was related to depth of semantic processing, whereas performance of DST suppressors varied inversely with degree of felt hopelessness. Examination of cognitive functioning in future studies may provide useful insights into the clinical significance of biological markers of depression.
D000328:Adult; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D003907:Dexamethasone; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood*; D011939:Mental Recall; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D014706:Verbal Learning
D003907:Dexamethasone; D006854:Hydrocortisone