Significance of depression in clinical neuropsychological assessment

https://doi.org/10.1016/0272-7358(92)90090-UGet rights and content

Abstract

Clinically depressed affect is one of the most common clinical problems seen by health care providers. Clinical psychologists and newopsychologists are routinely asked to evaluate the significance of depression in the clinical presentation of neurological and psychiatric patients. Growing research interest has created a large and diverse neuropsychological, psychiatric, and neurological literature in this area. This paper discusses methodological issues including the influence of factors such as subtypes of depression and confounding variables. Types of depressed deficits commonly found in various psychiatric and neurological populations are reviewed. Also presented are future research directions and strategies for discriminating depression from brain dysfunction.

References (142)

  • American Psychiatric Association

    Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders

    (1987)
  • J. Atteberry-Bennett et al.

    The relationship between behavioral and cognitive deficits, demographics and depression in patients with minor head injuries

    International Journal of Clinical Neuropsychology

    (1986)
  • D. Benson

    Psychiatric aspects of aphasia

    British Journal of Psychiatry

    (1973)
  • L. Bieliauskas et al.

    Depression type in Parkinson's disease

    Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology

    (1989)
  • I.M. Blackburn

    Mental and psychomotor speed in depression and mania

    British Journal of Psychiatry

    (1975)
  • K. Bolla-Wilson et al.

    Lateralization of dementia of depression in stroke patients

    American Journal of Psychiatry

    (1989)
  • J.J. Boyar

    Coping with non-organic factors on neuropsychological measures

    Clinical Neuropsychology

    (1981)
  • A.R. Breen et al.

    Cognitive performance and functional competence in coexisting dementia and depression

    Journal of the American Geriatrics Society

    (1984)
  • B. Bressler

    Drug use in the geriatric patient

  • R.G. Brown et al.

    Depression and disability in Parkinson's disease: A follow-up of 132 cases

    Psychological Medicine

    (1988)
  • R.G. Brown et al.

    Alterations in cognitive performance and affect-arousal state during fluctuations in motor function in Parkinson's disease

    Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry

    (1984)
  • R.A. Brumback et al.

    Neuropsychology study of children during and after remission of endogenous depressive episodes

    Perceptual and Motor Skills

    (1980)
  • A. Calev et al.

    Recall and recognition in depressives: Use of matched tests

    British Journal of Clinical Psychology

    (1985)
  • N.E. Cartlidge et al.

    The psychiatric sequelae of head injury

  • J.E. Casey et al.

    Neuropsychological improvement versus practice effect following unilateral carotid endarterectomy in patients without stroke

    Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology

    (1989)
  • A. Coughlan et al.

    Use of memory tests in differentiating organic disorder from depression

    British Journal of Psychiatry

    (1984)
  • J. Cummings et al.

    Reversible dementia: Illustrative cases, definition, and review

    Journal of the American Medical Association

    (1980)
  • H.V. Curran et al.

    Effects of repeated doses of fluvoxamine, mianserin, and placebo on memory and measures of sedation

    Psychopharmacology

    (1986)
  • C. Dodrill

    Effects of antiepileptic drugs on abilities

    Journal of Clinical Psychiatry

    (1988)
  • M.R. Eastwood et al.

    Mood disorder following cerebrovascular accident

    British Journal of Psychiatry

    (1989)
  • M.J. Eckardt et al.

    Test-retest reliability of the Halstead impairment index in hospitalized alcoholic and nonalcoholic males with mild to moderate neuropsychological impa

    Journal of Clinical Neuropsychology

    (1981)
  • S. Finklestein et al.

    Antidepressant drug treatment for poststroke depression: A retrospective study

    Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

    (1987)
  • A. Finset

    Depressed mood and reduced emotionality after right-hemisphere brain damage

  • B.S. Fogel et al.

    Single case study: Focal cognitive deficits accentuated by depression

    The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease

    (1985)
  • M. Folstein et al.

    Mood disorder as a specific complication of stroke

    Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry

    (1977)
  • F.H. Frankel et al.

    Electroconvulsive therapy: Dispelling the myths

    Drug Therapy

    (1983)
  • C.D. Frith et al.

    Effects of ECT and depression on various aspects of memory

    British Journal of Psychiatry

    (1983)
  • D. Fromm et al.

    Neuropsychological test performance in depressed patients before and after drug therapy

    Biological Psychiatry

    (1984)
  • D. Fromm-Auch

    Neuropsychological assessment of depressed patients before and after drug therapy: Clinical profile interpretation

  • C. Gass et al.

    Differential impact of brain damage and depression on memory test performance

    Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology

    (1986)
  • M.B. Glenn et al.

    The use of lithium for behavioral and affective disorders after traumatic brain injury

    Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation

    (1987)
  • G. Goldstein et al.

    Neuropsychological diagnosis of multiple sclerosis in a neuropsychiatric setting

    Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease

    (1974)
  • A.M. Gotham et al.

    Depression in Parkinson's disease: A quantitative and qualitative analysis

    Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry

    (1986)
  • D. Goulet Fisher et al.

    Influence of depression on repeated neuropsychological testing

    International Journal of Clinical Neuropsychology

    (1986)
  • R. Hart et al.

    Digit symbol performance in mild dementia and depression

    Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology

    (1987)
  • D. Hartman

    Neuropsychological toxicology: Identification and assessment of human neurotoxic syndromes

    (1988)
  • R. Heaton et al.

    Neuropsychological test results associated with psychiatric disorders in adults

    Psychological Bulletin

    (1978)
  • R. Heaton et al.

    Effects of psychiatric disorders and their somatic treatments on neuropsychological test results

  • R. Heaton et al.

    Use of neuropsychological tests to predict adult patients' everyday functioning

    Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology

    (1981)
  • S. Heaton et al.

    Testing the impaired patient

    • Cited by (44)

    • Cognitive impairment in the first year after breast cancer diagnosis: A prospective cohort study

      2017, Breast
      Citation Excerpt :

      Anxiety has been studied as a possible predictor of cognitive dysfunction [20,21], and its interference with performance in cognitive tests through declining attentional control has been established [22,23], particularly in those abilities that require a high degree of concentration and attention, such as executive and memory function [35–37]. Therefore, cognitive deficits should be interpreted cautiously in the presence of depressive or anxiety symptoms [38,39]. In our study, we did not find a statistically significant association between the presence of anxiety at baseline and incident cognitive impairment but our results demonstrated that the effect of chemotherapy on cognitive impairment was different according to the anxiety levels of patients at baseline, in accordance with our initial hypothesis that anxiety prior to treatment may influence the role of potential risk factors for cognitive impairment.

    • How can Continuous Performance Test help to assess inattention when mood and ADHD symptoms coexist?

      2016, Psychiatry Research
      Citation Excerpt :

      This latter scenario demands a more thorough clinical investigation since both ADHD and depression may contribute to impairments on attentional tests. In fact, some authors (Groth-Marnat, 2000; Sweet et al., 1992) suggest caution when interpreting attentional deficits when mood symptoms are present. For many decades, neuropsychologists have attempted to understand the neuropsychological dysfunction in depression.

    • The relation of depression and anxiety to measures of attention in young adults seeking psychoeducational evaluation

      2008, Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology

    • The postconcussion syndrome after mild head trauma Part II: Is migraine underdiagnosed?

      2000, Journal of Clinical Neuroscience

    • Neuropsychological test performances of young depressed outpatient women: An examination of executive functions

      1999, Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology

    • Visuoconstructional drawing ability in the differential diagnosis of neurologic compromise versus depression

      1999, Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology
    View all citing articles on Scopus
    View full text
    Copyright © 1992 Published by Elsevier Ltd.