Cognitive performance on the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) was
assessed in depressed patients (diagnosis of major depression) with
cerebrovascular lesions, with Parkinson's disease, or with functional
depression (no known brain lesions). Controls for patients with brain
lesions or Parkinson's disease were nondepressed patients with the same
conditions. Controls for functionally depressed patients were age- matched
normal individuals. Depressed patients had significantly lower total MMSE
scores than their nondepressed counterparts, but depression did not have an
effect on cognitive performance across the three disease groups. The only
significant difference between depressed and nondepressed patients shared
by all three groups was poorer performance by depressed patients on the
delayed-recall task. The findings suggest that major depression may lead to
a specific pattern of cognitive deficits independent of coexisting brain
pathology.Abstract Teaser