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Successful computer-assisted cognitive remediation therapy in patients with unipolar depression: a proof of principle study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 July 2007

SAFA ELGAMAL ,
MARGARET C. McKINNON ,
KARUNA RAMAKRISHNAN ,
RUSSELL T. JOFFE  and
GLENDA MacQUEEN
SAFA ELGAMAL
Affiliation:
McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
MARGARET C. McKINNON
Affiliation:
McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
KARUNA RAMAKRISHNAN
Affiliation:
McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
RUSSELL T. JOFFE
Affiliation:
University of Medicine and Dentistry New Jersey, Newark, NJ, USA
GLENDA MacQUEEN*
Affiliation:
McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
*
*Address for correspondence: G. MacQueen, M.D., Ph.D., St Joseph's Center for Mental Health Services, D1, Mood Disorders Program, 100 West 5th St, Hamilton, ON, CanadaL8N 3K7. (Email: [email protected])
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Abstract

Background

Despite increasing awareness of the extent and severity of cognitive deficits in major depressive disorder (MDD), trials of cognitive remediation have not been conducted. We conducted a 10-week course of cognitive remediation in patients with long-term MDD to probe whether deficits in four targeted cognitive domains, (i) memory, (ii) attention, (iii) executive functioning and (iv) psychomotor speed, could be improved by this intervention.

Method

We administered a computerized cognitive retraining package (PSSCogReHab) with demonstrated efficacy to 12 stable patients with recurrent MDD. Twelve matched patients with MDD and a group of healthy control participants were included for comparison; neither comparator group received the intervention that involved stimulation of cognitive functions through targeted, repetitive exercises in each domain.

Results

Patients who received cognitive training improved on a range of neuropsychological tests targeting attention, verbal learning and memory, psychomotor speed and executive function. This improvement exceeded that observed over the same time period in a group of matched comparisons. There was no change in depressive symptom scores over the course of the trial, thus improvement in cognitive performance occurred independent of other illness variables.

Conclusions

These results provide preliminary evidence that improvement of cognitive functions through targeted, repetitive exercises is a viable method of cognitive remediation in patients with recurrent MDD.

Type
Original Article
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 37 , Issue 9 , September 2007 , pp. 1229 - 1238
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2007

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