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.
Background and PurposeCognitive decline is a function of normal aging; however, the effect of age on various domains is differential. This study examined the effect of age on verbal fluency and showed how speed of processing modifies fluency performance in healthy older adults compared to younger individuals.MethodsThree age groups, 62 young (17–40 years), 30 middle-aged (41–59 years), and 38 older adults (60–78 years), were studied using the Controlled Oral Word Association Test, National Adult Reading Test, and speed-of-processing composite score. The study examined the effect of age on fluency before and after controlling for processing speed and intelligence quotient.ResultsThe young group performed better than the older group on category fluency as measured by animal category (p < .001) and on processing speed composite score (p < .001). However, the older group performed better than the young group on the National Adult Reading Test (p < .05) and on letter fluency after controlling for the decline in processing speed (p < .05). Processing speed had a significant effect on both category and letter fluency (p < .01) in older adults.ConclusionsThis study suggests that aging adversely affects some but not all cognitive domains and that age-related decline in processing speed contributes to age-related changes in fluency.
Understanding the factors that predict cognitive performance of patients with depression may provide an insight into the processes by which depression leads to cognitive dysfunction. Our study showed that premorbid IQ and factors related to burden of illness are strong independent predictors of cognitive dysfunction in patients with major depression.
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