Cognitive deficits in depression: possible implications for functional neuropathology.
BACKGROUND
While depression is known to involve a disturbance of mood, movement and cognition, its associated cognitive deficits are frequently viewed as simple epiphenomena of the disorder.


OBJECTIVE
To review the status of cognitive deficits in depression and their putative neurobiological underpinnings.


METHODS
Selective computerised review of the literature examining cognitive deficits in depression and their brain correlates.


RESULTS
Recent studies report both mnemonic deficits and the presence of executive impairment--possibly selective for set-shifting tasks--in depression. Many studies suggest that these occur independent of age, depression severity and subtype, task 'difficulty', motivation and response bias: some persist upon clinical 'recovery'.


CONCLUSIONS
Mnemonic and executive deficits do no appear to be epiphenomena of depressive disorder. A focus on the interactions between motivation, affect and cognitive function may allow greater understanding of the interplay between key aspects of the dorsal and ventral aspects of the prefrontal cortex in depression.
Mood Disorders Unit and Department of Liaison Psychiatry, Prince of Wales Hospital, Sydney, Australia. m.austin@unsw.edu.au
M P
MP
Austin
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Mitchell
G M
GM
Goodwin
D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology; D002561:Cerebrovascular Disorders / Q000523:psychology; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests