Neuropsychological effects of stress on social phobia with and without comorbid depression.
BACKGROUND
The influence of stress on neuropsychological functioning was assessed in socially phobic (SP), comorbid socially phobic/major depression (CM), and asymptomatic control subjects (AC) under baseline and stressor conditions.


METHODS
Subjects were 33 clinically diagnosed undergraduates aged 18 to 41 years. Neuropsychological measures included the Trail Making Test, Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), Spatial Span, and Digit Span administered during a baseline condition and a psychosocial stress condition (videotaping).


RESULTS
Spatial Span scores were reduced for SP during stress, improved for AC, and showed no change for CM. TMT B times showed an interaction effect, with completion time improving significantly less for SP than for AC and CM during stress. Analyses of the normative data for WCST total errors indicated that AC and CM improved significantly during stress, while SP performance declined during stress.


CONCLUSIONS
The present findings suggest that comorbid depressed versus non-depressed SP subjects respond uniquely to stress in terms of their neuropsychological functioning and self-reported mood and experiences; generalized social phobia may be associated with spatial working memory disturbance during social stress. Therefore, situations involving potential social and personal evaluation (e.g., examinations or presentations) may have a significant impact on the neuropsychological functioning of SP individuals.
Graver
Christopher J
CJ
University of Michigan Medical Center, Neuropsychology Section, C-480 Med Inn, Box 0840, 1500 E. Medical Center Dr., Ann Arbor, MI 48109-0840, USA. gravecj@dshs.wa.gov
White
Patricia M
PM
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology; D003071:Cognition; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010698:Phobic Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology*