Auditory-verbal declarative and operating memory among patients suffering from depressive disorders – preliminary study

Dysfunctions of auditory-verbal declarative and working memory are observed in patients with depressive disorders (DD). The authors wanted to see, whether antidepressive therapy improved the efficiency of cognitive processes among patients suffering from DD and determine possible associations between auditory-verbal declarative and working memory performance, evaluated before treatment vs. remission degree after treatment. The study was carried out in 87 subjects, patients with depressive disorders (n=30, DD) and healthy subjects (n=57, CG, control group). The AVLT (Auditory Verbal Learning Test) and the Stroop Test were used. CG obtained higher results vs. DD-I (the evaluation started on the therapy onset) in the Stroop Test-RCNb (Reading Colour Names in Black)/time, NCWd (Naming Colour of Word – Different)/time, NCWd/errors, AVLT: the number of words after 30 minutes. CG demonstrated higher results than DD-II (following eight weeks of pharmacological treatment) in RCNb/time, NCWd/time, AVLT: the number of words in the first trial, the number of words after 30 minutes. Compared to DD-I, DD-II achieved better results in NCWd/errors. No statistically significant differences were observed in both tests between the patients with remission and without remission. Statistical analysis revealed the lack of significant dependences among HDRS after treatment and cognitive functions before treatment. Depressive disorders are associated with deteriorated efficiency of auditory-verbal declarative and working memory. No improvement was observed in the efficiency of auditory-verbal declarative or working memory after 8-week therapy. The performance level of cognitive processes before pharmacotherapy has no effect on the intensity of depression symptoms after therapy.