title: Executive dysfunction and autobiographical memory retrieval in recovered depressed women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Depressed individuals have difficulty remembering specific autobiographical events. These deficits often persist after recovery of mood symptoms, but the mechanisms underlying impaired memory specificity in recovered depressed individuals remain unclear. Here, we sought to examine whether performance on two cognitive measures might be related to deficits in autobiographical memory retrieval in individuals with a history of depression.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-four recovered depressed women (12 with more than one previous episode) and 24 never depressed women completed two cognitive measures (Digit Span and a Number Generation Task) and tests of autobiographical memory recall.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, the recovered depressed women did not show deficits in autobiographical retrieval. However, those with more than one previous episode had impaired retrieval of categorical autobiographical memories. Moreover, depression history moderated the relationship between Digit Span and retrieval of categoric autobiographical memories such that within the whole recovered depressed group (but not the never depressed group), those with lower Digit Span also had poorer retrieval of categorical autobiographical memories.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our sample size was small and included only women. Moreover, order effects may have been a significant factor.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings support the notion that working memory is an important factor in impairing autobiographical memory in those who have recovered from depression, but suggest a complex relationship with autobiographical recall.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Warneford Hospital, Oxford OX3 7JX, United Kingdom. Electronic address: anneke.haddad@psy.ox.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Anneke D M
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Haddad
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Warneford Hospital, Oxford OX3 7JX, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Catherine J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Harmer
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Warneford Hospital, Oxford OX3 7JX, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: J Mark G
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Williams
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D003863:Depression / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology; D056344:Executive Function / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D061212:Memory, Episodic; D011939:Mental Recall / Q000502:physiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D020127:Recovery of Function / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Autobiographical memory; Depression; Executive dysfunction; Female; Recovered depressed