Cognitive function in the affective disorders: a prospective study.
A prospective, controlled study of 50 subjects confirmed claims that major depression or mania may cause temporary disorders of attention, memory, visuo-spatial function, and choice reaction time, and cause-independently of medication-the appearance of glabellar tap, positive hand-face test, nuchocephalic reflex, and graphesthesia. On follow-up, all these phenomena either disappeared or markedly improved. Age and age of onset, but not pre-morbid intelligence or history of ECT, seemed to modulate the severity of the cognitive impairment. Presence of delusions predicted poor (but reversible) visuo-spatial function. Cognitive impairment accompanied by reversible soft neurological signs was more marked but patients thus affected surprisingly showed lower depressive scores; this was interpreted as representing a secondary, 'organic' form of affective disorder (i.e. a behavioural phenocopy of depression) characterised by a reduced capacity to experience depressive symptoms and by little improvement at follow-up.
Universidad del Pais Vasco, España.
A
A
Bulbena
G E
GE
Berrios
D000328:Adult; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D004565:Electroconvulsive Therapy; D005260:Female; D005425:Flicker Fusion; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011939:Mental Recall; D008875:Middle Aged; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011930:Reaction Time