Cognitive Dimensions of Major Depressive Disorder

Abstract

Cognitive Dimensions of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) examines the key clinical and pathophysiological characteristics and treatment options of MDD. The volume emphasizes that while the traditional model of depression implicates mood as the primary symptom cluster, a more recently published conceptual understanding of depression has been extended to consider cognitive function as more than just a symptom. It furthers our understanding of the central role of the cognitive dimension for the pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment of MDD. It reviews the key cognitive dimensions of depression comprising impaired cognitive and emotional processes of cognitive function, emotion processing, and social cognitive processing. It focuses on the cognitive and emotional dimensions of depression and offers extended and novel diagnostic and treatment approaches ranging from pharmacological to psychological interventions targeting those dimensions of depression.