Further evidence of attention bias for negative information in late life depression.
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.
Broomfield
Niall M
NM
Older Adult Psychology Service, Greater Glasgow Primary Care Division, Glasgow, Scotland, UK. Niall.Broomfield@glacomen.scot.nhs.uk
Davies
Rachel
R
MacMahon
Kenneth
K
Ali
Farah
F
Cross
Susan M B
SM
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