title: Alertness and visuospatial attention in clinical depression.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cognitive deficits are a substantial burden in clinical depression. The present study considered dysfunction in the right-hemispheric attention network in depression, examining alertness and visuospatial attention.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three computerized visuospatial attention tests and an alertness test were administered to 16 depressive patients and 16 matched healthy controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Although no significant group effect was observed, alertness predicted reduced visuospatial performance in the left hemifield. Furthermore, sad mood showed a trend towards predicting left visual field omissions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Decreased alertness may lead to lower left hemifield visuospatial attention; this mechanism may be responsible for a spatial bias to the right side in depression, even though treatment of depression and anxiety may reduce this cognitive deficit.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Medical School, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany. lschock@ukaachen.de
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Schock
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schwenzer
authors.forename: Walter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Sturm
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mathiak
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect; D001143:Arousal; D001288:Attention; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010468:Perceptual Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D013028:Space Perception; D014794:Visual Fields; D014796:Visual Perception