Ecological executive function profiles in depression patients before and after treatment

Abstract

To explore the ecological executive function profile in depression patients before and after antidepressants treatment and analyze the relationship of ecological executive function and depression symptoms and effect. A total of 33 inpatients diagnosed as depression disorder according to ICD-10 completed the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-Adult Version (BRIEF-A) and Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD) before and after a 6-week antidepressant treatment. (1) After treatment, they yielded lower scores significantly on most subscales of BRIEF-A (t = 2.061 - 4.229, P < 0.05), including total score [(127 ± 27) vs (113 ± 28)], shifting [(11.7 ± 2.7) vs (10.3 ± 2.6)], emotion control [(18.8 ± 4.6) vs (15.8 ± 4.4)], monitoring [(9.6 ± 3.0) vs (8.8 ± 2.7)], initiation [(15.6 ± 3.7) vs (13.2 ± 3.6)], working memory [(14.9 ± 3.4) vs (13.3 ± 3.9)], planning [(18.3 ± 4.4) vs (16.6 ± 4.4)], organization [(12.4 ± 3.8) vs (11.4 ± 3.1)], behavioral regulation index (BRI), metacognition index (MI) and global executive composite (GEC). (2) Before treatment, Person's correlation test showed that the total score of HAMD and all subscales of BRIEF-A had no significant correlation respectively (r = -0.145 - 0.220, P > 0.05). (3) After treatment, the deduction of total score of HAMD and the deduction of the scores of inhibiting belonging to behavioral regulation index (BRI) and initiation, planning belonging to metacognition index (MI) had moderate correlations respectively(r = 0.450, 0.432, 0.403, P < 0.05). (4) Multiple regression analysis showed that the scores of working memory, organization and the deduction of total score of HAMD had significantly negative correlations respectively (t = -2.295, -2.488, P < 0.05). The antidepressant treatment can improve ecological executive function of depression patients. And the improvements of ecological executive function and depression symptoms are partially correlated.