title: Neuropsychological performance in melancholic, atypical and undifferentiated major depression during depressed and remitted states: a prospective longitudinal study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Considerable evidence has demonstrated that melancholic and atypical major depression have distinct biological correlates relative to undifferentiated major depression, but few studies have specifically delineated neuropsychological performance for them.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a six-week prospective longitudinal study, we simultaneously compared neuropsychological performance among melancholic depression (n=142), atypical depression (n=76), undifferentiated major depression (n=91), and healthy controls (n=200) during a major depressive episode and a clinically remitted state, respectively. We administered neuropsychological tests assessing processing speed, attention, shifting, planning, verbal fluency, visual spatial memory, and verbal working memory to all participants.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During the depressive state, the three subtypes displayed extensive cognitive impairment, except for attention, when compared with the healthy controls. Melancholic depression significantly differed from atypical depression in processing speed and verbal fluency. In the remitted state, the three subtypes recovered their visual spatial memory and verbal working memory functions to the healthy control level. The recovery of the other domains (processing speed, set shifting, planning, and verbal fluency), however, was different across the subtypes. No predictive relationship existed between neuropsychological performance and the treatment outcome.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The drop-out rate in the six-week longitudinal study was relatively high.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data provide preliminary evidence that during depressed states the three major depressive subtypes display similar cognitive deficits in some domains but differ in such domains as processing speed and verbal fluency. The recovery of the cognitive deficits following clinical remission from depression may be associated with subtypes of major depressive disorder.
authors: Department of Psychiatry, Guangzhou Psychiatric Hospital, 36 Mingxin Road, Fangcun district, Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangdong Province, Guangzhou 510370, China; Laboratory of Neuropsychology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong; Laboratory of Cognitive Affective Neuroscience, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
authors: Kangguang
authors: K
authors: Lin
authors: Department of Psychiatry, Guangzhou Psychiatric Hospital, 36 Mingxin Road, Fangcun district, Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangdong Province, Guangzhou 510370, China. Electronic address: xuguiyun2908@hotmail.com.
authors: Guiyun
authors: G
authors: Xu
authors: Department of Psychiatry, Guangzhou Psychiatric Hospital, 36 Mingxin Road, Fangcun district, Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangdong Province, Guangzhou 510370, China.
authors: Weicong
authors: W
authors: Lu
authors: Department of Psychiatry, Guangzhou Psychiatric Hospital, 36 Mingxin Road, Fangcun district, Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangdong Province, Guangzhou 510370, China.
authors: Huiyi
authors: H
authors: Ouyang
authors: Department of Psychiatry, Guangzhou Psychiatric Hospital, 36 Mingxin Road, Fangcun district, Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangdong Province, Guangzhou 510370, China.
authors: Yamei
authors: Y
authors: Dang
authors: Research Centre for Behavioral Assessment, Department of Psychology, Rovira i Virgili University, Tarragona, Spain.
authors: Urbano
authors: U
authors: Lorenzo-Seva
authors: Department of Psychiatry, Guangzhou Psychiatric Hospital, 36 Mingxin Road, Fangcun district, Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangdong Province, Guangzhou 510370, China.
authors: Yangbo
authors: Y
authors: Guo
authors: International Mood Center, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, USA.
authors: Daniel
authors: D
authors: Bessonov
authors: International Mood Center, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, USA.
authors: Hagop S
authors: HS
authors: Akiskal
authors: Department of Ophthalmology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong; The State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong; GMH Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China.
authors: Kwok-Fai
authors: KF
authors: So
authors: Laboratory of Neuropsychology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong; Laboratory of Cognitive Affective Neuroscience, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong; The State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong; Institute of Clinical Neuropsychology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong. Electronic address: tmclee@hku.hk.
authors: Tatia M C
authors: TM
authors: Lee
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D003863:Depression; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory; D008570:Memory, Short-Term; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies
keywords: Atypical depression; Clinical trial; Major depression; Melancholic depression; Neuropsychological test; Treatment outcome