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Effects of Depression on Working Memory in Presymptomatic Huntington's Disease

Received June 14, 2000; revised November 27, 2000; accepted December 12, 2000. From the Departments of Psychology, Psychiatry, and Neurology, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, and the Department of Psychiatry, University of California–San Diego School of Medicine, San Diego, California. Address correspondence to Dr. Paulsen, The University of Iowa College of Medicine, Psychiatry Research 1-328 MEB, Iowa City, IA 52242–1000. E-mail: jane-paulsen{at}uiowa.edu

Cognitive decline may precede motor symptoms in Huntington's disease (HD). Depression is common in HD and has also been linked with cognitive impairment. The contribution of depression to cognition in individuals presymptomatic for HD (N=15) was investigated. Tests from the Cambridge Automated Neuropsychological Assessment Battery measured visual and working memory. Depression was assessed with the Beck Depression Inventory and the Unified Huntington's Disease Rating Scale. Depressed mood and estimated time to disease onset, calculated by using DNA mutation length, both were significant predictors of working memory performance. Findings are consistent with and contribute to existing research with individuals presymptomatic for HD, identifying a potentially remediable contribution to cognitive decline (i.e., depressed mood).

Key Words: Depression • Huntington's Disease • Memory

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