title: Multidimensional cognitive impairment in unipolar and bipolar depression and the moderator effect of adverse childhood experiences.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Studies have demonstrated neuropsychological deficits across a variety of cognitive domains in depression. These deficits are observable both in major depressive disorder (MDD) and in bipolar disorder (BD) and are present in each phase of the illness, including euthymia. Adverse childhood experiences (ACE) have been associated with an increased risk of developing psychiatric disorders and cognitive deficits. The aim of this study was to assess neuropsychological performances in a sample of MDD and BD patients during a depressive episode compared to healthy controls (HC) and, to investigate if ACE affect the cognitive profiles in the three groups.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy-six BD patients, 57 MDD patients, and 57 HC underwent neuropsychological assessment for cognitive performances through the Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia and Wisconsin Card Sorting Test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both BD and MDD patients obtained significantly lower domain scores across the entire battery compared to HC. Splitting the sample according to exposure to ACE (high and low), the differences observed in the whole sample persisted only in the subsample of those patients exposed to high ACE.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study confirms that cognitive impairment is present both in MDD and BD, albeit in different degrees of severity, and highlights the importance of early stress as a moderator factor when investigating cognitive functions in mood disorders.
authors.affiliation: Division of Clinical Neurosciences, Scientific Institute and University Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy.|C.E.R.M.A.C. (Centro di Eccellenza Risonanza Magnetica ad Alto Campo), University Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9594-0246
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Poletti
authors.affiliation: Division of Clinical Neurosciences, Scientific Institute and University Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy.|C.E.R.M.A.C. (Centro di Eccellenza Risonanza Magnetica ad Alto Campo), University Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Veronica
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Aggio
authors.affiliation: Division of Clinical Neurosciences, Scientific Institute and University Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Brioschi
authors.affiliation: Division of Clinical Neurosciences, Scientific Institute and University Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dallaspezia
authors.affiliation: Division of Clinical Neurosciences, Scientific Institute and University Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Colombo
authors.affiliation: Division of Clinical Neurosciences, Scientific Institute and University Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy.|C.E.R.M.A.C. (Centro di Eccellenza Risonanza Magnetica ad Alto Campo), University Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Benedetti
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000069586:Adult Survivors of Child Adverse Events / Q000523:psychology*; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D060825:Cognitive Dysfunction / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: adverse childhood experiences; bipolar disorder; cognitive performances; major depression; stress