Psychiatr. pro Praxi, 2010; 11(2): 56-58

Cognitive performance in depression

PhDr.Hana Přikrylová Kučerová, Ph.D., doc.PhDr.Marek Preiss, Ph.D., Mgr.Petra Navrátilová, Ph.D., doc.MUDr.Radovan Přikryl, Ph.D.

Psychiatrická klinika LF MU a FN Brno

Number of patients sufferring from unipolar depression have problems with impairment of cognitive and executive functions which we

marked as cognitive deficit. This deficit has a big influence on their quality of life, every day lifestyle, etc. Many different factors involve

in formation of cognitive deficit like influence of longitudinal stress, imbalance of neurotransmitters, etc. Impairment of cognitive functions

in depression has global diffused character, it does not has a specific profile and its course is influenced by many clinical factors

(subtypes and severity of depression, medication, hospitalization…). Cognitive impairment is present in depression probably already

before presence of symptomatology and also in remission of depression. We found different structural and functional brain abnormities

in patients suffering from depression (especially hippocampus, amygdala, prefrontal cortex). During diagnostic process we should use

short, unpretentious and adequate neuropsychological tests. Actually we have not rehabilitation procedures directly for patients with

depression, so we use well tried methods from another disorders.

Keywords: depression, cognitive deficit, cognitive functions, neuropsychology

Published: March 1, 2010  Show citation