title: Autobiographical Memory Specificity in Major Depression Treated With Electroconvulsive Therapy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Autobiographical memory in major depression is characterized by reduced specificity, which reflects the tendency to summarize categories of events rather than recall specific instances of events situated in a time and place. This widely studied cognitive marker for depression has not been extensively examined in patients treated with electroconvulsive therapy (ECT).
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a retrospective chart review of a naturalistic cohort of patients receiving a course of brief-pulse predominantly bitemporal ECT for a major depressive episode. Patients completed the recent life section of the Kopelman Autobiographical Memory Interview (AMI) at pre-ECT baseline, end of treatment course, and 3-month follow-up as part of routine clinical practice. Mood was assessed using the 24-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We identified 48 patients (mean age, 61.6; female, 62.5%) meeting inclusion criteria. A total of 77.1% of patients responded to the ECT course, 29.7% subsequently relapsed. There were no significant changes over time on either AMI total score or semantic and episodic subscales. However, patients were markedly impaired on episodic autobiographical memory compared with the normative sample at all 3 assessment points, whereas personal semantic memory recall was normal. Specificity of episodic autobiographical memory at baseline did not predict response to ECT or likelihood of relapse.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We found reduced specificity of episodic autobiographical memory in depressed patients before ECT, which persisted at long-term follow-up despite significant improvement in mood. The finding of no detectable retrograde amnesia likely reflects lack of sensitivity of the recent life section of the AMI to detect ECT-induced changes.
authors.affiliation: From the *Department of Psychiatry, St Patrick's University Hospital and †Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jelovac
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: OʼConnor
authors.forename: Shane
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: McCarron
authors.forename: Declan M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: McLoughlin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000648:Amnesia, Retrograde / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D003071:Cognition; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D004565:Electroconvulsive Therapy / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D038801:International Classification of Diseases; D008297:Male; D061212:Memory, Episodic; D011939:Mental Recall; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies