title: Further evidence of attention bias for negative information in late life depression.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Pilot research using the manual (card based) emotional Stroop paradigm shows depressed elders selectively attend negative words, whereas dementia patients do not. The present study aimed to confirm this effect, using a more controlled, computerised, emotional Stroop paradigm, and accounting for co-morbid anxiety.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nineteen depressed (DEP) and twenty non depressed control participants (CON) completed a computerised Emotional Stroop task. This task involves colour naming individually presented negative, positive and neutral words. Mean participant age was 72.25 years. All participants were free of significant cognitive impairment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Consistent with hypotheses, analysis of variance revealed a general cognitive slowing amongst DEP, and a specific interference effect for negative words, in this group, suggesting attention bias.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Previous pilot data are confirmed. The emotional Stroop paradigm may have clinical potential for distinguishing geriatric depression and dementia, although as yet this is far from clear. Detailed development work including comparison with depressed and non depressed Alzheimer's patients, will be necessary to demonstrate diagnostic validity.
authors.affiliation: Older Adult Psychology Service, Greater Glasgow Primary Care Division, Glasgow, Scotland, UK. Niall.Broomfield@glacomen.scot.nhs.uk
authors.forename: Niall M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Broomfield
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Davies
authors.forename: Kenneth
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: MacMahon
authors.forename: Farah
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ali
authors.forename: Susan M B
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Cross
mesh_terms: D000339:Affect; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001007:Anxiety; D001288:Attention; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003118:Color Perception; D003704:Dementia / Q000175:diagnosis; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011287:Prejudice; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011930:Reaction Time