Study On The Characteristics Of Neurocognitive Function And Social Cognitive Function In Depressive Patients

Objective:To investigate the feature of the neurocognitive function and social cognitive function in major depressive disorder.Methods:Using case-control study method, We recruited 61 depressive patients met DSM-IV criteria for DD recruited from Wuxi Mental Health Center (study group), including 31 first-episode depression (first-episode group) and 30 recurrent depression(recurrent group).62 healthy people with payment from the communities near our hospital (control group). All the subjects were assessed with Wechsler Digit Span(SD), Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) and emotional recognition task. The study group subjects assessed the degree of depression with HAMD-24. Investigating the charateristics of the working memory, executive function, decision-making, emotion perception by comparing study group and control group. To explore the influence of the course and degree of depression on cognitive function in patients with depression, through comparing recurrence group and first-episode group and analyzing the correlation between the degree of depression and the index of cognition.Results1 neurocognitive function1.1 Wechsler Digit Span(SD):The study group was significantly lower than control group in DS(P<0.05), and the recurrent group was significantly lower than first-episode group (P<0.05).1.2 Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST):the score of Responses Answer, Errors Responses and Nonperseverative Responses Errors in study group were significantly higher than that in control group (P<0.05), the score of Correct Responses and Categories Completed in study group were significantly lower than that in control group(P< 0.05). the score of Responses Answer, Errors Responses and Nonperseverative Responses Errors in the recurrent group were significantly higher than that in first-episode group (P<0.05), the score of Correct Responses and Categories Completed in recurrent group were significantly lower than that in first-episode group(P<0.05).1.3 Iowa Gambling Task (IGT):In addition to the second block and the fifth block, the score of each test index of IGT in study group were significantly higher than that in control group(P<0.05). The scores of total score, third block and fifth block of IGT in recurrent group were significantly higher than those in first-episode group (P <0.05).2 social cognitive function (emotional recognition task)2.1 Analysis of categorical judgments:The correct rates of happiness, fear, anger and surprise recognition in study group were significantly lower than those in the control group (P<0.05), and The correct rates of sadness in recurrent group were higher than those of first-episode (P<0.05).2.2 Intensity ratings:The comparison analysis of study group and control group:Happiness stimulus:The score of study group was significantly higher than control group in sadness scale(P<0.05). ②sadness stimulus:The score of study group was significantly higher than control group in disgust scale(P<0.05). ③fear stimulus: The score of study group was significantly higher than control group in sadness scale and disgust scale (P<0.05).④angry stimulus:The score of study group was significantly higher than control group in disgust scale(P<0.05).⑤disgust stimulus: The score of study group was significantly higher than control group on happiness scale and digust scale(P<0.05). ⑥urprise stimulus:The score of study group was significantly less than control group on surprise scale(P<0.05), The score of study group was significantly higher than control group on sadness and disgust scale(P< 0.05). ⑦eutral stimulus:The score of study group was significantly higher than control group on sadness and disgust scale(P<0.05).3 The total scores of HAMD-24 (Hamilton Depression Scale, HAMD) in depressie patiens (first-episode and recurrent group) were negatively correlated with the score of the digit span and the Categories Completed of WCST (r=-0.37、-0.299, P =0.003 、0.019) and were positive correlations with total errors, perseverative errors, non perseverative errors of WCST, total scores, scores of the third block, scores of fifth block of IGT, the correct rates of sadness and disgust of emotional recognition task (r=0.265～0.461, P=0.000～0.042)Conclusions1. depressive patients shows obvious impairments in working memory and executive function. Comparied with the control group, depressive patients decision-making more conservative, and withdrawal.2. The depressive patients show emotional recognition impairment, and the recognition of the positive emotion recognition is weakened, and the depressive patients also shows a stronger negative emotion perception bias.3. The longer disease duration and the severity of depression may have some effects on patients’cognitive impairment.