Abstract
BackgroundImpaired auditory performance has been considered as marker for depression. The present study tested whether pitch perception is affected in depression and whether the impairment is task-specific or reflects global dysfunction.MethodsTwelve depressive in-patients and 12 non-depressive participants, half of the sample women, volunteered. The participants performed pitch identification using a four-choice reaction task, pitch contour perception, and pitch discrimination.ResultsDuring pitch identification but not during pitch contour perception or pitch discrimination, depressive patients responded less accurate than non-depressive participants (F = 3.3, p = 0.047). An analysis of covariates revealed that only female but not male depressive patients identified pitches poorly (Z = −2.2, p = 0.025) and inaccurate pitch identification correlated with high scores in the Beck Depression Inventory in women (r = −0.8, p = 0.001) but not in men (r = −0.1, p = 0.745). Patients did not differ from controls in reaction time or responsiveness.ConclusionsImpaired pitch perception in depression is task-specific. Therefore, cognitive deficits in depression are circumscribed and not global. Reduced pitch identification in depression was associated with female sex. We suggest that impaired pitch identification merits attention as a potential marker for depression in women.
Highlights
Impaired auditory performance has been considered as marker for depression
Post-hoc tests revealed that depressive patients identified pitch less accurately than controls without impairment in pitch contour perception and pitch discrimination (Table 2); during pitch identification, depressive patients yielded 24% fewer correct responses than non-depressive participants
No significant speed-accuracy tradeoff emerged during pitch identification (r(24) = −0.19, p = 0.368) and pitch contour perception (r(24) = −0.22, p = 0.297) but during pitch discrimination (r(24) = −0.47, p = 0.020)
Summary
Impaired auditory performance has been considered as marker for depression. The present study tested whether pitch perception is affected in depression and whether the impairment is task-specific or reflects global dysfunction. Cognitive deficits in depression arise among others in the auditory domain [1]. Some authors considered impaired auditory processing as a potential marker for depression [2,3]. There is a controversy, whether cognitive dysfunctions in depression are specific [4] or general [5,6]. The variable outcomes suggest that heterogeneous processes may be differentially affected during a depressive episode. The present study aimed to confirm that a specific pitch
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