Table 6.
Neuropsychological assessment
| Tests | Early-onset depression N = 32 |
Late-onset depression N = 30 |
Normal controls N = 17 |
P value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Memory | ||||
| Immediate logic memory | 5.5 ± 2.3 | 4.9 ± 2.2 | 7.9 ± 1.8 | 0.0001* |
| Delayed logic memory | 5.1 ± 2.6 | 4.3 ± 2.5 | 7.5 ± 2.0 | 0.0001* |
| Verbal serial learning | 7.5 ± 2.3 | 7.0 ± 2.2 | 9.7 ± 1.6 | 0.0001* |
| Delayed serial memory | 6.0 ± 2.5 | 4.6 ± 3.0 | 8.4 ± 1.9 | 0.0001* |
| Cued recall | 8.8 ± 3.2 | 7.7 ± 3.3 | 11.2 ± 0.9 | 0.0001* |
| Recognition | 10.3 ± 2.4 | 10.6 ± 1.8 | 11.7 ± 0.4 | 0.03* |
| Buschke Memory battery (Immediate memory) | 6.8 ± 1.8 | 5.9 ± 2.4 | 7.4 ± 1.1 | 0.036$ |
| Buschke Memory battery (Cued memory) | 7.3 ± 1.1 | 6.5 ± 1.9 | 7.6 ± 1.0 | Ns |
| Language | ||||
| Boston Naming Test | 44.5 ± 7.7 | 45.7 ± 7.5 | 52.9 ± 4.0 | 0.001* |
| Semantic Fluency | 13.1 ± 4.0 | 14.6 ± 4.9 | 20.1 ± 4.7 | 0.0001* |
| Verbal Fluency | 10.4 ± 4.4 | 12.5 ± 4.5 | 15.4 ± 3.4 | 0.001# |
| Vocabulary | 46.7 ± 11.9 | 49.5 ± 10.8 | 51.3 ± 19.6 | Ns |
| Attention | ||||
| Trail Making Test “A” | 64.4 ± 29.3 | 74.3 ± 50.6 | 50.8 ±18.1 | Ns |
| Digit Span (forward) | 5.1 ± 1.0 | 5.3 ± 1.3 | 6.1 ± 1.0 | 0.010# |
| Digit Span (backward) | 3.5 ± 1.0 | 3.7 ± 0.8 | 4.5 ± 1.3 | 0.032# |
| Digit–Symbol | 27.0 ± 9.9 | 28.6 ± 15.3 | 45.0 ± 10.6 | 0.0001* |
| Executive functions | ||||
| Trail Making Test “B” | 209.2 ± 144.5 | 220.7 ± 142 | 115.4 ± 43.7 | 0.023* |
| Verbal fluency | 10.4 ± 4.4 | 12.57 ± 4.6 | 15,4 ± 3,4 | 0.001# |
| Visuospatial abilities | ||||
| Clock-drawing test | 5.56 ± 2.1 | 5.7 ± 1.7 | 6.6 ± 0.6 | Ns |
| Block design | 42.7 ± 7.5 | 46.3 ± 11.3 | 58.2 ± 11.6 | 0.0001* |
| Abstraction and logic reasoning | ||||
| Similarities | 44.0 ± 10.9 | 48.1 ± 10.6 | 52.0 ± 8.2 | Ns |
| Matrix reasoning | 40.5 ± 9.8 | 43.2 ± 14.1 | 55.0 ± 6.4 | 0.005* |
| Intellectual quotient | ||||
| Verbal IQ | 93.6 ± 13.6 | 98.4 ± 15.2 | 107.4 ± 11.6 | 0.03# |
| Performance IQ | 87.8 ± 11.5 | 93.4 ± 16.2 | 110.4 ± 8.7 | 0.0001* |
| Global IQ | 89.9 ± 11.8 | 96.1 ± 13.9 | 110.5 ± 8.3 | 0.0001* |
Note: Values expressed are mean + standard deviation.
*
Significant differences: P < 0.05 between normal and (early- and late-onset) depression patients.
#
Significant differences between early-onset depression patients and normal controls.
$
Significant differences between late-onset depression patients and normal controls.
Abbreviations: NS, nonsignificant differences (P > 0.05); IQ, intelligence quotient.