Verbal learning and memory in depression: A 9-year follow-up study

• Published in: Psychiatry research Vol. 188; no. 3; pp. 350 - 354
• Main Authors: Halvorsen, Marianne, Waterloo, Knut, Sundet, Kjetil, Eisemann, Martin, Wang, Catharina Elisabeth Arfwedson
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ireland Ltd 15.08.2011; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adult; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Analysis of Variance; Biological and medical sciences; Cognitive function; CVLT; Depression; Depression - complications; Female; Humans; Learning Disorders - diagnosis; Learning Disorders - etiology; Longitudinal Studies; Major depressive disorder; Male; Medical sciences; Memory Disorders - diagnosis; Memory Disorders - etiology; Middle Aged; Mood disorders; Neuropsychological Tests; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Recurrence; Remission; Verbal Learning - physiology; Recurrence; Remission; CVLT; Cognitive function; Major depressive disorder; Mood disorder; Verbal learning; Relapse; Depression; Cognition; Verbal memory; Acquisition process; Language; Follow up study
• ISSN: 0165-1781; 1872-7123
• DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2011.02.022

Memory impairment is often associated with depression. However, the literature is not uniform whether such impairment constitutes state and/or trait characteristics. One-hundred-and-twelve clinically depressed (CDs), previously depressed (PDs), and never depressed (NDs) subjects (T2 diagnostic status),were assessed with the California Verbal Learning Test (CVLT) at T1 and re-assessed 9years later with the revised version, CVLT-II. At T1 no deficit in verbal memory between CDs and PDs compared to NDs was found, in which the majority of the subjects were younger adults. At follow-up the majority of CDs and PDs had suffered one or several recurrent depressive episodes. Repeated-measures analysis of variance showed, in particular and irrespective of group, a significant decline in recall measures over time. CDs, PDs and NDs showed the same pattern of verbal memory performance over time with the exception of Short Delayed Free Recall, in which CDs and PDs showed a significant decline in performance at follow-up compared to NDs. Likewise, subjects with recurrent depression performed comparable to subjects with a single episode over the course of follow-up. Our results suggest that individuals with mild to moderate unipolar depression may not be significantly affected by verbal memory impairments over the long-term course. The comparability of the versions of the CVLT is addressed.